The Seattle Mariners are fresh off what is both their first road series win and their first three-game series sweep of the season and headed to Minnesota to face a Twins team that is rebuilding after being sold for parts at last year’s trade deadline, which should be a harbinger of momentum finally shifting in Seattle’s favor. Unfortunately, the weather in Minnesota, as it always does, Sucks Out Loud, and tonight’s series opener will definitely start in a delay if not get canceled entirely.
We got our first ever Shannon Drayer TARP! post of the season, and while Shannon is a delight, these posts are not.
That was posted early this morning; this post was from an hour ago, just a couple of hours before scheduled start time.
Current view from the dugout. pic.twitter.com/84FbKyoFJj
However, things do seem to be on the upswing. Both Brad Adam and Daniel Kramer report the Mariners have at least come out on the field to do pregame activities as the rain has stopped.
Still a tarp but now activity! Rain has stopped for now. No word on the game yet. pic.twitter.com/dAkELJTTqS
Quite a few Mariners players — mostly pitchers — have emerged from the visiting clubhouse and are playing catch in the outfield here at Target Field.Rain has reduced to a drizzle, and tarp is still on the field.But no update yet on if this one will start on time.
If tonight’s game is postponed, the Mariners will likely play a doubleheader tomorrow, followed by the regularly-scheduled day game for Wednesday before Thursday’s off day. The forecast in Minnesota says the rain should pass through tonight, but I trust the accuracy of a Midwest weather report about as much as I trust the proportions of my grandmother’s bourbon balls recipe (ingredients: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup each nuts and chopped fruit, and “Bourbon, as much as you like”).
This is the second time in a row the Mariners have had to contend with Minnesota’s weather and Target Field’s lack of a roof; perhaps you remember the four and a half hour rain delay in the series finale last June that resulted in the Mariners getting walloped 10-1. The Mariners were lousy on the road in the rain last season, going 1-6 in games delayed by rain. I had the not-at-all pleasure of recapping the Little League Classic game and thus getting to excise some childhood trauma, literature edition (Mrs. Ward was wrong for assigning Asimov to third graders and I stand behind that). I also got this un-fun one in Baltimore, and apparently rain delays make me think about my childhood. Probably standard for a Seattle kid.
Hilariously, I’m not even the staffer who gets the most worked up about rain delays; that honor belongs to Ryan Blake. Go yell with him over on Bluesky if you want to kill some time before the game.
This post – which will serve as an off-day open thread if tonight’s game is canceled – will be updated as we know more about tonight’s game, and Ryan, we assume, will keep Posting Through It.