Twins postpone Tigers series opener due to wintry weather
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 20: Rain postpones the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals on May 20, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota Twins have postponed their series opener against the Detroit Tigers because of wintry weather, opting for a doubleheader next month.
The Twins announced Thursday afternoon they were calling off Friday night's game, a decision made about 28 hours before the scheduled first pitch. The region was blanketed by wet snow, heavy winds and icy roads. The storm was forecast to move out before Friday night, but the temperature was predicted to be in the mid-30s.
With dry but chilly afternoons on tap for Saturday and Sunday, when the two teams are also set to play, the Twins rescheduled the Friday game for May 11 in the form of a split day-night doubleheader. The Tigers were already scheduled for a three-game visit to Target Field that weekend.
The Twins (6-4) were off Thursday, and the weather handed them a sixth day off over the first 16 days of the season, the most in the major leagues. Michael Pineda was scheduled to start Friday, opposite Daniel Norris of the Tigers (8-5).
Last season, a mid-April snowstorm in Minnesota wiped out three straight games for the Twins against the Chicago White Sox, and the Twins had four postponements over their initial 10-game homestand.