NEW YORK - Tampa Bay's hurricane-delayed trip from Florida had fans waiting up to eight hours for a day doubleheader that became a single night game and had the New York Yankees asking unsuccessfully for the commissioner's office to award them a forfeit victory.

Gates at Yankee Stadium opened at 11 a.m for what had been a doubleheader first set to start at 1 p.m. On Sunday, the start time was pushed back to 3 p.m., and because the Devil Rays were late leaving Tropicana Field on Monday due to Hurricane Frances. The commissioner's office then told the teams to play one game at 7 p.m. and said it would decide later when to reschedule the second game.

The Devil Rays arrived at 6:05 p.m., and the Yankees won 7-4 as Alex Rodriguez, moved to the No. 2 slot for the first time since October 1999, hit a three-run double for his first bases-loaded hit since July 2003. New York remained 2½ games ahead of second-place Boston in the AL East.

While the Yankees asked to be given a forfeit win for the unplayed game, commissioner Bud Selig has no intention of doing so.

"Given the stage of the season we are in, and the exciting pennant races, it is critical that we do everything to decide the championship on the field," he said in a statement.

About 20,000 fans appeared to be on hand when Orlando Hernandez (7-0) finally threw the first pitch to Julio Lugo at 7:02 p.m., and about 30,000 appeared to fill the seats later on. The Yankees said 44,422 tickets were sold.

"The rule states that if your team is here and ready to play, and the other team isn't here and not ready to play, there should be a forfeit, and we believe there should be a forfeit," Yankees president Randy Levine said.

Tampa Bay's home games against Detroit Saturday and Sunday were postponed, and the Tigers returned home after Friday night's game. Bob DuPuy, chief operating officer of the commissioner's office, said the Devil Rays were asked to investigate leaving Friday night or Saturday.

"There were plenty of opportunities to get out of Tampa on Saturday. The airports were open until 3 or 4 o'clock," Levine said after Yankees officials checked with airlines.

Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar said the team never intended to leave for New York until Sunday night or Monday.

"We decided, and we made the right decision, we'll stick by that decision, to stay with our families," he said. "We wanted to stay in the Tampa Bay area, wait out the storm with our families."

DuPuy said Devil Rays owner Vincent Naimoli had told the commissioner's office over the weekend that his team was trying to make arrangements to leave Florida but couldn't.

"We have learned since that it may have been possible to get out on Friday or Saturday, although we were advised by Mr. Naimoli at the time that they were unable to obtain a charter," DuPuy said.

Naimoli refused to address the issue.

"Get everything down in print as you will. I have no comment," he said as he walked into Yankee Stadium.

DuPuy would not say whether the commissioner's office would penalize the Devil Rays, saying the matter was between baseball and the team. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Levine went further than DuPuy, accusing the Devil Rays of lying to the commissioner's office about their travel plans.

"We were told by baseball that they were ordered up here and will be dealt with harshly," Cashman said.

The teams are scheduled to play night games Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Levine said that if the forfeit request was denied, the game should be rescheduled for Oct. 4, the day after the regular season, if it's needed to decide a postseason race. The commissioner's office suggested the game be made up Wednesday, and Levine said the Yankees may refuse to play it then.

"Major league baseball is probably not looking to give a team a victory," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "I think this is the time of the year they have to be earned."

The last time a major league game was forfeited because a team didn't show on time was Sept. 2, 1918, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Cleveland did not travel to St. Louis for a doubleheader on the final day of the season, which was shortened because of World War I. That also was on Labor Day.

The Devil Rays gathered at Tropicana Field at 8 a.m, departed the ballpark at 1 p.m. and took off from Tampa International Airport at 2:55 p.m. The team arrived at LaGuardia Airport at 5:20 p.m. and pulled up to Yankee Stadium in two buses 45 minutes later.

As it was, Devil Rays outfielder Aubrey Huff could not get out of his home in a low-lying area and did not accompany the team to New York.