Why is the Twins-Tigers Game Delayed Today? When Will it Start?

Getty

Why is the Twins-Tigers game delayed today? Get the latest updates on the delay and when Minnesota and Detroit are expected to start.

Rain pushed back the start of Wednesday’s Minnesota Twins-Detroit Tigers series finale at Comerica Park.

The Tigers announced the delay on social media.

“Due to inclement weather in the area, the start of today’s Tigers-Twins game will be delayed. Further updates will be provided when available,” the club posted.

At 2 p.m., the Tigers announced a new approximate start time of 2:50 p.m. ET. If that estimated start time holds, the delay would total one hour and 40 minutes, officially.

“We’re officially in a Late Start in DET. I don’t think it’ll be a particularly quick one, but they’ve got all afternoon to wait it out, and the rain is clearing… so I expect they play ball,” sports weatherman Kevin Roth wrote on his social media account.

“Rain is forecast to continue through most of Wednesday, Sept. 9,” Sarah Moore of the Free Press reported. “Michigan’s Lower Peninsula can expect rain throughout the morning and afternoon on Wednesday, Sept. 9, but forecasters do not expected severe conditions. Wind gusts could reach 45-55 mph, lightning and locally heavy rainfall are the potential hazards.”

“The wettest day of the week is here, with off and on rain moving across Southeast Michigan before fading this afternoon,” reported WJBK-TV. “Let’s say the rain wraps up between 3 and 5 p.m.”

Neither club is within realistic reach of a playoff spot, though Minnesota at 4 1/2 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League with 15 games left has at least a puncher’s chance. Detroit is trying to avoid an eighth straight losing series, and both rosters are playing out matchups that still shape final stat lines. Coverage remains available on DSN and Twins.TV once the tarp comes off Comerica Park.

In addition to the weather delay, the Tigers had another concern today.

“Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said they’re on ‘baby watch’ for RHP Keider Montero, who pitches today,” reported Evan Woodberry of MLive. “So his paternity leave could potentially open a spot for someone to provide innings on Saturday.”

Minnesota Twins-Detroit Tigers Rain Delay Forecast

The culprit is a slow-moving cold front dragging a band of showers and isolated thunderstorms across southeast Michigan, exactly the kind of system meteorologists flagged as likely to affect the afternoon game. Highs in Detroit were forecast to reach the mid-80s, with dew points climbing into the lower 70s and southwest winds gusting as high as 25 mph.

Rain totals for most of the area were expected to stay light, generally under a tenth of an inch, unless a stronger cell rolls through and drops a heavier, if brief, downpour. The severe threat is considered low, though forecasters have not ruled out an isolated strong storm capable of producing gusty winds.

A cold front is due to clear the region by Thursday, dropping humidity and pulling highs back into the upper 70s under mostly clear skies, a sharp break from Wednesday’s muggy mess. That clearer stretch would offer an obvious alternative window if today’s game cannot be completed as scheduled.

How the Delay Affects Zebby Matthews and Keider Montero

Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews and Tigers right-hander Keider Montero were still listed as the probable starters heading into the delay. Matthews carries a 9-9 record and a 4.69 ERA into the outing, while Montero has gone 9-8 with a sharper 3.52 ERA.

A weather hold before first pitch is far less disruptive than one that hits mid-game. Both pitchers can generally stay on their normal pregame routine through a wait of an hour or two. A delay that stretches much longer raises the odds a club scratches its starter altogether and turns to the bullpen, particularly this late in a lost season when teams start guarding innings on struggling arms. Neither Minnesota nor Detroit had announced a pitching change as of the latest update.

The game is the rubber match of a three-game set. The Twins took Tuesday’s contest 3-2 behind a two-run homer from Kody Clemens, while the Tigers answered Monday with a 5-4 win. Minnesota still leads the season series 8-4, and Detroit enters at 66-79 overall, a stretch that has produced a 6-18 record since mid-August. The Twins sit at 69-76.

Read More From Heavy

Tigers Announce Decision on 32-Year-Old Pitcher Before Royals Finale