Cortés to open decisive game against Guardians

After fans waited 2.5 hours in the rain, Major League Baseball decided to postpone the decisive fifth game of the American League Divisional Series and the New York Yankees took advantage of the circumstances to change Tuesday’s starter and the responsibility will fall on Néstor Cortés, who will pitch against the Cleveland Guardians on abbreviated rest.

Cleveland is expected to keep Aaron Civale for the game, rescheduled for Tuesday at 4:07 p.m. ET.

Neither manager spoke to reporters following the postponement. Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo confirmed that Aaron Boone informed him via text message that Cortes will pitch in place of Jameson Taillon.

The game was supposed to start at 7:07 p.m., and the postponement was confirmed at 9:38.

“When it became clear that it would be well after 10 p.m. when the game was going to start, I think a very easy decision was made,” said Chris Marinak, MLB’s chief operating officer and director of strategy.

The winner, if anything, will get a breather, as they must travel to Houston to face the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series, which begins Wednesday at 6:37 p.m. (Central time).

Both teams had their batting practice on Monday.

“If the weather is an issue, I don’t necessarily want to go through that,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone commented around 4 p.m. “We’re going to have to go through that.

Cleveland outfielder Myles Straw, who was involved in a confrontation with Yankees fans in April, made a few throws with a soccer ovoid with fans waiting in the stadium seats during the delay, as did relief outfielder Will Brennan.

The center field video board was showing a split screen of New York City FC’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami CF in the MLS playoffs, and the New York Rangers game against the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL, as well as the NFL game between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.

New York gets a day for its bullpen to rest.