KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals will have to wait a day to extend their winning streak.
Friday’s home game against the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium, scheduled for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch, has been called off because of rain.
The teams will play two seven-inning games as part of a split doubleheader on Saturday. The first game will begin at 1:10 p.m., the second game at 5:30 p.m.
The Royals have won three straight, including the first game of the four-game set against the Blue Jays on Thursday.
“I woke up this morning hoping that the forecast was going to be radically wrong,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “I just wanted to keep playing.”
That’s a first-place feeling. The Royals (7-4) entered Friday a half-game ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central. Only Boston (9-4) owned a better winning percentage.
Solid outings by starting pitchers have paved the way for the recent run, and Friday’s scheduled starter, Mike Minor, will pitch the first game on Saturday.
Ervin Santana will start the second game. The veteran right-hander was added to the Royals organization in December on a minor league contract and he joined the major league roster on Tuesday.
Santana, 38, a two-time All-Star, spent one previous season with the Royals, finishing 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 32 starts in 2013.
Earlier this week Matheny said Santana had been stretched out to five innings at a recent outing at the alternative site.
Fans with tickets to Friday’s game should use those same tickets for Saturday’s second game. Friday’s Buck Night promotion will also carry over to the second game Saturday.
