Twins tweak Fourth of July start time in hopes of avoiding rain

A washout remains possible Thursday in Minnesota.

Jul 4, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Byron Buxton (25) rounds third base to score a run on a hit by first baseman Alex Kirilloff (not pictured) during the seventh inning as Kansas City Royals third baseman Nicky Lopez (8) looks on at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The original plan to start the Fourth of July game between the Twins and Tigers at 1:10 p.m. CT has moved up an hour to 12:10 p.m. CT in hopes of avoiding a postponement due to rain.

The Twin Cities is forecast to get heavy rain and storms on Thursday, but there may be a window wide enough to fit in Thursday's series finale between the Twins and Tigers.

According to the National Weather Service, there is at least a 70% chance of rain in the Twin Cities at noon Thursday all the way through the rest of the day and into the overnight hours. The official forecast from the weather service calls for 1-3 inches in the Twin Cities, with isolated higher amounts.

"The more optimistic models hold off maybe the bulk of the moisture until towards the evening," says Minnesota-based Bring Me The News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard. "Half the models do have the showers and thunderstorms starting up right around lunch time or early afternoon."

At 48-37, the Twins have a chance to reach 50 wins earlier than any of the past four seasons. They hit 50 wins on June 22 (they were 50-26) during the 2019 season.