This series was originally scheduled to start Friday, but the game was postponed by rain. No makeup date was announced.

Both teams decided to move their starters back a day with Sabathia (1-4, 7.88 ERA) going for Cleveland (14-15) and Luke Hochevar (1-1, 5.91) starting for Kansas City (12-16).

"We'll just push everybody back one day," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "It is early in the season and I don't think it's a problem."

Sabathia was awful in his first four starts, posting a 13.50 ERA and a .390 opponent batting average. But the veteran left-hander, who had a career-high 19 wins last season, has allowed just one run over his last two outings.

He pitched eight strong innings against the New York Yankees on Sunday, giving up four hits and one run while striking out eight. Cleveland, however, managed just four hits and lost 1-0.

Sabathia has gotten no more than one run of support in four of his last five starts. The one exception during that span came against the Royals on April 22, when he surrendered four hits and struck out 11 in six shutout innings to earn his first win of the season as Cleveland won 15-1.

Sabathia is 14-8 with a 3.27 ERA in 29 career starts against Kansas City.

Indians slugger Travis Hafner, trying to break out of an early season slump, hasn't given Sabathia much help in recent weeks. He is hitless in 12 at-bats in the last three games Sabathia has started.

After getting a game off, Hafner batted sixth in Cleveland's lineup for the first time in more than three years in a 3-2, 11-inning win over Seattle on Thursday night. Hafner, the Indians' usual No. 3 hitter, broke an 0-for-13 drought with a double in the fourth inning and finished 2-for-4.

Hafner isn't the only Indian that has struggled offensively lately.

Ryan Garko broke an 0-for-25 skid with two singles Thursday and Asdrubal Cabrera delivered the game-winning single after being hitless in his 14 previous at-bats.

Hafner doesn't think the one-day layoff will have a negative effect on his swing.

"We're programmed to play, so I'm always ready," he said. "I got a lot of swings in anyway tonight in the batting cages. I'd rather play, but I don't think about rain one way or the other."

The Indians outscored the Royals 26-7 during a three-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium April 22-24, and have won 14 of the last 19 meetings.

Kansas City has lost 10 of 13 overall, and six of its last seven road games, including a 2-1 defeat at Texas on Thursday.

Hochevar, the first selection in the 2006 draft, is making his third start since being called up from Triple-A Omaha.

The 24-year-old right-hander is coming off his first career win, allowing one run and six hits in six innings as Kansas City beat Toronto 2-1 on April 26. His first major league start came against the Indians last Sept. 30 and he took the loss, giving up two runs and three hits in three innings as the Royals fell 4-2.