MINNEAPOLIS — Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros were given a welcomed do-over.

The Minnesota Twins had their strong start washed away.

The Astros-Twins game was postponed Wednesday night by rain that came in the top of the third inning and never quit, and Major League Baseball finally made the decision after a 2 1/2-hour delay.

The game will be reset Thursday night as the second half of a doubleheader, following the regularly scheduled afternoon game. That means the 5-0 lead the Twins took off Keuchel, including Brian Dozier’s leadoff home run, has been erased.

“You get off to a good start against a good pitcher and you’ve got your best guy out there and you’ve just got to wipe it off the slate,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said, with a hint of weariness in his voice. “Unfortunate. Good for them.”

After the Twins tagged the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner with four runs in the second, sending 10 batters to the plate as dark clouds rolled in and lightning flashed in the distance, the skies opened up and the fans hurried for cover.

Twins starter Ervin Santana left the mound with a disappointed look with one out and a big lead in the third as the umpires waved the players off the field and the grounds crew hustled to retrieve the tarp. White umbrellas, designed to look like baseballs, were conveniently given away to the first 10,000 customers who entered.