New York — The scheduled game between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees was postponed Wednesday night due to a forecast of thunderstorms and severe weather.

 Though no rain was falling yet on a humid evening at Yankee Stadium, the game was called about 35 minutes before it was supposed to start — drawing groans from some fans scattered throughout the stands. It will be made up Thursday as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.

After that, Tampa Bay is not scheduled to return to the Bronx this season.

"Obviously, it kind of stinks. But maybe not the worst thing," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I kind of like the off day to freshen up the bullpen a little bit."

New York leads the AL East by six games over the Rays. The teams split their first two matchups this week and the Yankees hold a 10-5 advantage in the season series.

It was the sixth postponement for the Yankees this year and their 16th game rained out or delayed because of weather — plus a power outage that caused a 43-minute stoppage at Tampa Bay in May. Thursday will mark their fourth doubleheader, with two more scheduled in August.

Tampa Bay just split a twinbill Saturday in Baltimore.

"They're making it sound like it was going to be really nasty weather," Cash said.

Yonny Chirinos (8-4) had been set to pitch for the Rays against Domingo Germán. Tampa Bay will remain in rotation, with Chirinos starting the opener Thursday followed by All-Star right-hander Charlie Morton (11-2).

New York will go with Germán (11-2) in Game 1, but did not announce a pitcher for the nightcap. Left-hander J.A. Happ (7-5) will be pushed back a day to Friday night against Colorado.

"It's just, we decided with the consecutive games, we'd have to insert somebody," manager Aaron Boone said. "We just figured we'd do it now."

Boone was asked what he was told about the weather forecast.

"That the storms have filled in and that there's a line of them that anywhere from 7 to 7:30 to 8 or 8:30 on some, and then going to be here for a while," he said.