Angels: Rain slightly delays start of Sunday’s Angels-Red Sox game

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A light rain has been falling on Angel Stadium all Sunday morning, but it started to pick up just before noon, causing the grounds crew to partially roll out the tarp, which was poised to cover the infield.

The scheduled 12:35 p.m. PDT start of Sunday’s Angels-Boston game that will conclude a four-game series was pushed back five minutes while crews worked to dry the infield.

As of 12:30, fans were taking their seats as the rain started to slow. As of 12:32, had the sun started to come out and grounds crew began rolling the tarp back up.

The Angels reworked their lineup in an effort to find some more offense after they’d struggled mightily against Boston, scoring just five total runs in three straight losses to the Red Sox after averaging 5.8 per game while going 5-1 in a recent road trip.

Most notably, Angels third baseman Alberto Callaspo, who is batting .303 (20 for 66), has been moved to the cleanup spot.

“Right now, one of the few guys that’s been attacking the ball and hitting the ball hard is Alberto, and although he’s not a prototypal clean-up hitter, he’s great with guys in scoring position,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said before the game.

Angels infielder Macier Izturis, the team’s leading hitter (.338), was originally listed in the lead-off spot, but he was a last-minute scratch because of soreness in his left hamstring. And Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo is back in the lineup after having originally been given the day off.

Here’s the tweaked lineup for the Angels (12-9):

SS Erick Aybar

DH Bobby Abreu

RF Torii Hunter

3B Alberto Callaspo

LF Vernon Wells

2B Howie Kendrick

1B Mark Trumbo

C Jeff Mathis

CF Peter Bourjos

RHP Matt Palmer

Here’s the lineup for Boston (9-11):

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

2B Dustin Pedroia

1B Adrian Gonzalez

3B Kevin Youkilis

DH David Ortiz

RF Mike Cameron

LF Carl Crawford

C Jarrod Saltalamacchia

SS Marco Scutaro

RHP John Lackey

-- Baxter Holmes