Red Sox leave rainy Baltimore in foul mood

Wednesday night's series final postponed after a mere 24 minutes of action, and a rain delay of more than two and a half hours.

BALTIMORE -- From the manager on down, this was a perturbed group of Red Sox leaving Camden Yards on Wednesday night.

A rain delay of more than two and a half hours followed a mere 24 minutes of action, and Boston’s series finale with the Orioles was officially postponed to a date to be determined.

It marked just the second rainout of the season for the Red Sox, and it was a contentious one. A flash flood warning and heavy storms whipped through the Inner Harbor in the top of the second inning, with stadium officials urging fans to take cover in the concourses. It was the fourth and final rain delay in the three-game set, the second coming prior to the completion of the second inning.

“I’m annoyed about the whole three-game series,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Honestly, it was tough.”

Umpiring crew chief Fieldin Culbreth confirmed to the Boston Globe following the game that it was Baltimore’s decision to start on time at 7:08 p.m. Once on the field, Culbreth and his crew are in charge of whether or not the diamond is fit for play. As to whether or not to resume at any point, Culbreth said he alone didn’t have the power to make that decision.

“There are many people involved in that decision,” Culbreth said. “Many people. That is not something we take lightly.”

The Red Sox held a 5-0 lead thanks to homers from Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts. David Price needed just 10 pitches to fire a 1-2-3 first inning, and Boston looked well on its way to capturing the rubber game of a water-logged matchup. Price and most of the Red Sox were packed and walking quickly out of the visiting clubhouse by the time it was open to media members.

“I feel for the team, actually,” Cora said. “I don’t care about the home runs. We had a 5-0 lead. We had one of our horses on the mound.

“It’s not that it’s a guaranteed win, but we know where we’re at. Every game matters.”

Monday’s contest was delayed twice due to rain, including once in the top of the first inning. Rick Porcello waited more than 45 minutes to throw his first pitch in a 5-3 victory. Cora also referenced that evening’s events while calmly expressing his frustration on Wednesday.

“Rick had to wait for a while in a game with two outs in the first inning where there was a rain delay,” Cora said. “It was a tough one. But we’ll turn the page, we’ll show up (Thursday) and we’ll do what we do.”

Coming home: Brian Johnson takes the ball for the opener of a four-game set with the Twins on Thursday night at Fenway Park.

It could be the last start for the left-hander in the immediate future, with Nathan Eovaldi set to assume a rotation spot following his trade to Boston from Tampa Bay. Chris Sale, Porcello, Eovaldi, Price and Drew Pomeranz are the scheduled starters through Tuesday’s matchup with the Phillies at Fenway. That’s subject to change with Price barely breaking a sweat on Wednesday.

“We’ll figure it out over the weekend,” Cora said. “It’s not the perfect scenario obviously.”

The Red Sox have lost just one of Johnson’s four starts since he returned to the rotation June 28 against the Angels. Johnson has pitched to a 2.45 earned-run average over 18.1 innings and is likely to resume his role as a long reliever out of the bullpen.

Still on top: Boston still owns baseball’s best record at 71-32, putting them last in line to make waiver claims on players who are exposed prior to the second Aug. 31 deadline.

Cora was on the right side of such a move last season when his Astros slipped through a trade for right-hander Justin Verlander, agreeing to take on the remaining two years and $56 million of the seven-year deal he signed with the Tigers prior to the 2013 season.

“Really, you don’t count on it,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “You know what types of deals are generally made. They’re usually contracts that are big-dollar contracts that slip through.”