MINNEAPOLIS — In a rarity for baseball in an already unusual 2020 MLB season, umpires temporarily stopped play at Target Field on Tuesday due to a drone flying overhead.
Players spotted the drone in the top of the fifth inning of the matinee between the Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates. The game was paused for about nine minutes, as players were pulled off the field until the drone flew away.
The Associated Press reported that some pitchers in the bullpen tried to throw balls at the drone as it flew over center field, but missed.
It's currently unclear where the drone came from, or who was piloting it.
Twins play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer told the TV audience it's something he's never experienced, as the broadcast team joked that "only in 2020" could something like this happen.
The Twins also acknowledged the weirdness of the situation on social media:
The visiting Pirates, a National League franchise, poked a little fun at their American League hosts during the drone delay, saying "AL baseball is weird."
Like all MLB teams, the Twins are playing their home games at Target Field without fans in attendance in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AL Central-leading Twins ultimately beat the Pirates 7-3, for Minnesota's fifth win in a row.
