Twins-Red Sox get underway after long rain delay

After a 1 hour, 21 minute rain delay at Target Field, the Twins are underway against Boston.

May 26, 2015 at 11:02PM
Members of the Target Field grounds crew surveyed the field as it rained before the start of Tuesday night�s game between the Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ cgonzalez@startribune.com, May 26, 2015, Minneapolis, MN, Target Field, MLB, Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox
Members of the Target Field grounds crew surveyed the field as it rained before the start of Tuesday night�s game between the Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ cgonzalez@startribune.com, May 26, 2015, Minneapolis, MN, Target Field, MLB, Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox (Brian Stensaas — DML - Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Twins have won 10 of their last 12 games in Target Field, so they would really like to keep that momentum. The rainy weather that has enveloped the Twin Cities all day makes that a challenge tonight, however.

It's still raining at the ballpark, and radar shows it won't stop for awhile. The second of three games with the Red Sox won't start at 7:10 p.m. as scheduled, the Twins have already determined, but the team's forecasters (and those at the National Weather Service) tell them the rain will let up enough to get the game in tonight.

Both teams would prefer getting the game in, especially the Red Sox, who are scheduled to fly to Texas immediately after tomorrow's afternoon game for a four-game series with the Rangers. So there is little appetite for a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday.

The grounds crew has occasionally mopped the standing water off the tarp, and there are no puddles in evidence except on the warning track. The gates have opened, so the team clearly intends to wait out the weather.

That will make things difficult for scheduled starters Mike Pelfrey and Clay Buchholz, who won't want to prepare to pitch and then sit around. And the prospect of mid-game delays will be a challenge, too; Twins manager Paul Molitor says he has talked with pitching coach Neil Allen about sending a starter back to the mound after a long delay, but he said he has no set time limit in mind.

If they play, Torii Hunter will serve as the designated hitter, the same position as his old teammate, David Ortiz, for Boston. Here are the lineups for tonight's game:

RED SOX

Pedroia 2B

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Betts CF

Sandoval 3B

Ramirez LF

Ortiz DH

Napoli 1B

Bogaerts SS

Castillo RF

Leon C

Buchholz RHP

TWINS

Dozier 2B

Hunter DH

Mauer 1B

Plouffe 3B

Suzuki C

Escobar LF

Rosario RF

Hicks CF

Santana SS

Pelfrey RHP

about the writer

about the writer

Phil Miller

Reporter

Phil Miller has covered the Twins for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2013. Previously, he covered the University of Minnesota football team, and from 2007-09, he covered the Twins for the Pioneer Press.

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Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune

Brujan, a utility player, was with three major league teams last season.

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