NEW YORK -- Masahiro Tanaka gets extra rest, and the Kansas City Royals get to stay on schedule.
The game between the Royals and New York Yankees was postponed by rain Thursday, with the announcement coming on a wet morning in New York City about five hours before the teams were supposed to play the finale of a four-game series. The local forecast called for inclement weather much of the day.
Instead, the game will be made up at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 25, previously an off day for both teams. A start time had not been determined.
Tanaka was initially lined up to pitch Thursday for New York. The ace right-hander has given up 14 runs and seven homers over 4 2/3 innings in his last two outings. He is 5-3 with a 6.56 ERA in nine starts this year.
Right-hander Miguel Almonte was slated to make his first major league start for the Royals.
Despite the rainout, the first-place Yankees were still conducting business. As expected, they placed center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury on the seven-day concussion disabled list and recalled infielder-outfielder Rob Refsnyder from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Ellsbury was injured Wednesday night when he crashed hard into the outfield fence to make a catch, robbing Alcides Escobar of extra bases on the first pitch of the game. Ellsbury exited after the first inning and was diagnosed with a concussion and sprained neck.
The postponement gave Tanaka at least one additional day between starts, a routine he's more accustomed to. Tanaka has made 55 of his 84 major league starts on five or more days of rest, going 32-12 with a 3.50 ERA in those games compared to 12-7 with a 3.30 mark on four days' rest.
New York, which holds a season-high 2 1/2-game lead in the AL East over Baltimore, hosts the Oakland Athletics this weekend. Before the rainout, CC Sabathia was scheduled to start the series opener Friday night.
The day off could also benefit Kansas City, down a starting pitcher after right-hander Nate Karns went on the 10-day disabled list this week because of nerve irritation in his pitching arm.
The Royals originally planned to start Almonte on Thursday to keep the regular members of their rotation on normal rest. The washout was no doubt a disappointment for the 24-year-old, who made nine relief appearances with Kansas City two years ago. Speaking through a translator, he said Wednesday the Yankees were his favorite team growing up and he admired Alex Rodriguez.
Almonte, called up Sunday, was 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in six starts and one relief outing this year at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he struck out 35 and walked six in 29 innings.
If nothing else, the Royals were able to move on without a potentially long weather delay on getaway day in New York. The Yankees took two of three in the abbreviated series, including a 3-0 win Wednesday night behind Luis Severino.
Kansas City, which began the day with the worst record in the American League at 19-27, plays a three-game series at AL champion Cleveland this weekend. Ian Kennedy remains scheduled to start Friday night, followed by Jason Vargas on Saturday and Danny Duffy on Sunday.
The Royals also were rained out last Saturday at Minnesota before splitting a doubleheader with the Twins the following day.
It was the second time in two weeks the Yankees postponed an afternoon game long before it was scheduled to begin. They announced a May 13 rainout against Houston with an email at 5 a.m.
The team still planned to hold its HOPE Week charity event saluting an organization called A Moment of Magic on Thursday morning at Yankee Stadium. General manager Brian Cashman along with Sabathia, Severino, Jordan Montgomery and Michael Pineda -- all dressed as popular superheroes -- were set to surprise the volunteers and children with pediatric brain cancer.
The rescheduled game against Kansas City during the final week of the regular season will mark the beginning of New York's last homestand. The Yankees complete a series in Toronto the previous day. After facing the Royals on Monday, the Bronx Bombers host the Tampa Bay Rays and Blue Jays to close out the season.
Kansas City's final road trip gets extended to 11 games in four cities. The Royals finish a series at the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 24 before making a one-day stop in New York and then heading home to end the season against Detroit and Arizona.
---
More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball





Final
Series: Game 3 of 3

Royals 0

(19-27, 7-16 away)

Yankees 3

(27-17, 15-7 home)






7:05PM,EDT,May 24,2017
Yankee Stadium, New York,New York 

123456789 R H E
KC 000000000 0 4 1
NYY 00100110 - 3 7 0
W: L. Severino (3-2)
L: J. Hammel (1-6)
S: D. Betances (4)





View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Kansas City - Top of 1stSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Escobar flied out to center.00
Moustakas grounded out to first.00
Cain flied out to right.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Jason Hammel pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Gardner lined out to second.00
Sánchez flied out to center.00
Holliday reached on infield single to third.00
Castro struck out swinging.00
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 2ndSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Hicks in center field.00
Hosmer flied out to center.00
Pérez struck out swinging.00
Bonifacio grounded out to shortstop.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Jason Hammel pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Judge struck out looking.00
Hicks grounded out to first.00
Headley struck out swinging.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 3rdSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Moss grounded out to shortstop.00
Merrifield grounded out to second.00
Gordon struck out swinging.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Jason Hammel pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Gregorius homered to right center (392 feet).01
Carter walked.01
Gardner struck out swinging.01
Sánchez struck out swinging.01
Holliday flied out to right.01
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 4thSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Escobar singled to shallow left.01
Moustakas flied out to left.01
Cain struck out swinging.01
Hosmer struck out looking.01
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Jason Hammel pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Castro popped out to second.01
Judge walked.01
Hicks struck out swinging.01
Headley flied out to left.01
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 5thSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Pérez lined out to center.01
Bonifacio lined out to third.01
Moss doubled to right.01
Merrifield grounded out to shortstop.01
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Jason Hammel pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Gregorius grounded out to second.01
Carter struck out swinging.01
Gardner lined out to center.01
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 6thSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Gordon reached on infield single to second.01
Escobar flied out to center.01
Moustakas grounded into fielder's choice to first, Gordon out at second.01
Cain struck out swinging.01
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Jason Hammel pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Sánchez singled to left.01
Sánchez stole second, Sánchez safe at third on throwing error by catcher Pérez.01
Holliday hit sacrifice fly to right, Sánchez scored.02
Castro grounded out to pitcher.02
Judge singled to center.02
Hicks hit a ground rule double to left, Judge to third.02
Headley fouled out to third.02
1 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 7thSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Hosmer walked.02
Pérez flied out to center.02
Bonifacio grounded into double play, pitcher to second to first, Hosmer out at second.02
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Jason Hammel pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Gregorius hit a ground rule double to deep right center.02
Strahm relieved Hammel.02
Carter grounded out to second, Gregorius to third.02
Gardner singled to center, Gregorius scored.03
Sánchez flied out to right.03
Moylan relieved Strahm.03
Holliday grounded out to third.03
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 8thSCORE
Luis Severino pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Moss struck out swinging.03
Merrifield singled to right.03
Gordon struck out swinging.03
Escobar flied out to right.03
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Peter Moylan pitching for Kansas CityKCNYY
Castro struck out swinging.03
Judge grounded out to first.03
Hicks grounded out to shortstop.03
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Kansas City - Top of 9thSCORE
Dellin Betances pitching for New YorkKCNYY
Betances relieved Severino.03
Moustakas struck out swinging.03
Cain struck out swinging.03
Hosmer struck out looking.03
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors



 Kansas City Royals

HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Escobar SS40100010.180.211.233
Moustakas 3B40000117.244.279.482
Cain CF40000322.259.353.358
Hosmer DH30001218.295.359.415
Pérez C30000110.280.318.528
Bonifacio RF3000007.258.316.472
Moss 1B30100113.196.263.449
Merrifield 2B30100011.259.308.426
Gordon LF30100219.179.294.214
Totals30040110127   
BATTING
2B: Moss (3, Severino)
GIDP: Bonifacio
Royals RISP: 0-1 (Merrifield 0-1)
Team LOB: 4
FIELDING
E: Pérez (1, throw)

Game Notes

CF ELLSBURY (CONCUSSION AND NECK SPRAIN) LEFT GAME TOP 2ND

Game Information

StadiumYankee Stadium, New York, NY
Attendance34,610 (69.7% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:40
Weather66 degrees, partly cloudy
Wind11 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Jerry Layne, First Base - Roberto Ortiz, Second Base - Mike Estabrook, Third Base - Dan Bellino