MLB: N.Y. Yankees at Detroit, ppd., rain

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DETROIT, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between Detroit and the New York Yankees was postponed Wednesday due to rain.

With the Tigers leading the series 3-0 and on the brink of reaching the World Series for the second time in 28 years, Major League Baseball announced the teams would play Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday in Detroit beginning at 4:07 p.m. EDT.

The decision was made after a meeting involving the general managers for both teams and the umpiring crew.

The National Weather Service forecast for the Detroit area called for rain throughout Wednesday evening. Thursday's afternoon forecast also predicted 100 percent chance of rain, dwindling to 30 percent Thursday night.

Both the Tigers and Yankees planned to use their Wednesday scheduled pitcher to start Thursday's game.

CC Sabathia will pitch for the Yankees after posting two victories during New York's division series triumph over Baltimore. He went the distance in capturing Game 5 of that series.

Detroit will go with Max Scherzer, who went 16-7 during the regular season and has yet to record a decision in this year's playoffs.

The three Detroit starting pitchers who have worked in the ALCS have given up only one run and that came against Justin Verlander in the ninth inning of the Tigers' 2-1 win in Game 3 on Tuesday.

As a result of New York's limited offensive success in the series, the Yankees' lineup on Wednesday did not contain either Curtis Granderson or Alex Rodriguez.

Granderson hit 43 home runs during the regular season. Rodriguez has batted only .130 with one run scored and no RBI during the playoffs.

One more win for the Tigers will put them in the World Series for the first time since 2006, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. Detroit has not won a World Series crown since 1984, when the Tigers defeated San Diego 4-1.