Snow, cold forces postponement of Mariners-Twins finale

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The series finale between the Seattle Mariners and the Minnesota Twins was postponed Sunday because of wintry weather.

With snow in the forecast and game-time temperatures expected to hover around freezing, the game was called off about three hours before it was supposed to begin and rescheduled for May 14, what had been a mutual day off for both teams. The Mariners had not been scheduled to return to Minnesota this season.

Lance Lynn had been scheduled to make his Target Field debut for the Twins, opposite Marco Gonzales of the Mariners.

The two teams played through the coldest outdoor Twins’ game in Minnesota history on Saturday when the first pitch was thrown in 27-degree weather. Seattle beat Minnesota 11-4.

“It was freezing,” Mariners outfielder Dee Gordon said after the game. “I was getting picked on a lot of the time for having a hoodie on. Then we went out, and everybody on their team had a hoodie on. I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t feel so bad.’”

Because of the cold weather, both teams agreed to forgo the use of the bullpens in left-center field and let relievers warm up in the hitting cages behind the dugouts.

Sunday’s postponement could help both pitching staffs.

Neither team has a fifth starter on the roster. The Twins host the Houston Astros on Monday night while the Mariners visit the Kansas City Royals.

The weather is supposed to remain cold but dry the rest of the week in Minnesota, which also hosts the Chicago White Sox for four games following a three-game set with Houston.

Twins manager Paul Molitor didn’t announce his rotation plans, but Lynn likely will be pushed back for Monday’s game against the Astros and followed by Jake Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson and Jose Berrios.

Right-hander Phil Hughes is rehabilitating a left oblique strain and likely will take the fifth-starter spot. Instead of being needed on Wednesday against the defending World Series champions, Hughes could be in line to start Friday against Chicago.

“The outing went well the other day,” Molitor said Saturday after Hughes allowed three runs in five innings for Class A Fort Myers. “He got his pitches up a little bit closer to being able to start, if you will. I saw that he touched 94 the other day. We’re just going to have to see how things play out here.”