Red Sox Arrive In Detroit Roughly 10 Hours Before First Pitch Vs. Tigers

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox may be riding high on a six-game winning streak, but they'll likely be a groggy bunch when they arrive at Comerica Park on Thursday.

That's because after enduring a 77-minute rain delay prior to earning a rain-shortened victory on Wednesday night in Baltimore (one which reliever Brad Ziegler didn't seem to enjoy waiting out), the team's plane didn't depart for several hours after the game's official end.

As a result, the Red Sox -- according to tweets from players -- didn't land in Detroit until after 3 a.m.

With a 1:10 p.m. game scheduled for Thursday, it has the makings for some tired eyes in Detroit. Ten hours isn't much time to check in to a hotel, get some shut-eye, then show up to the ballpark with enough time to prepare for a game.

The zombie crew will include starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, who tried to leave Baltimore early in order to get a good night's rest in Detroit, but couldn't due to weather problems, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne. As a result, he ended up traveling with the rest of the team.

It was a rare situation from the start for a team to play a night game in one city followed by an afternoon game in another city. But the Tigers enjoy playing their Thursday games during the day, and with the Lions hosting a preseason game just across the parking lot at Ford Field on Thursday night, moving the game to a later time was never realistic.

And so, we'll definitely see some tired players hitting the field in Detroit this afternoon. The clubhouse coffee maker ought to be ready to work overtime.

In:
• MLB
• Detroit Tigers
• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox