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How power delays present uncertainty at Tropicana Field

The power went out at the Trop on Thursday night, forcing Rays and Angels managers to decide how they would handle their starting pitchers.
 
Fans wave their phones during a power outage at the Tampa Bay Rays game against the Angels on June 13, 2019 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (MONICA HERNDON   |   Times)
Fans wave their phones during a power outage at the Tampa Bay Rays game against the Angels on June 13, 2019 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (MONICA HERNDON | Times)
Published June 14, 2019|Updated June 14, 2019

ST. PETERSBURG — When the power went out at Tropicana Field in the fourth inning on Thursday night, the Rays and the Angels were forced to adjust on the fly.

For several minutes, the stadium, and the starting pitchers, were left in the dark.

The Rays are not accustomed to delays at home, but this is the second time this season that Tropicana Field has lost power during a game. The previous outage led to a 43-minute delay on May 12 against the Yankees.

These delays present unique challenges to teams. In many other stadiums, delays are often tied to rain. Teams can track radar and get a general idea as to how long the delay will last. At Tropicana Field, clubs are waiting on clearance from police and fire officials rather than waiting out inclement weather. That need for permission makes it difficult to determine how long the teams will be kept off the field.

Related: RELATED: Angels jump on Rays early in wacky night at Trop

Once the stadium regained power, Ryan Yarbrough could be spotted staying loose in the bullpen. The Rays’ long-reliever-turned-starter meandered around the bullpen mound while most other players remained in their respective dugouts and clubhouses.

“(Yarbrough) went down to the bullpen and threw a little bit,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “We kind of hung out. There might have been some guys go in the cage and take some flips, or whatever, but everybody seemed to stay loose.”

Angels manager Brad Ausmus, dealing with the same uncertainty during the delay, had to decide if he would stick with starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

“I probably would have gone an hour and that's even a little longer than I would have liked,” Ausmus said. “With the situation with our bullpen, I think felt like I was forced to (stay with him)."

Over half an hour later, the Angels returned to their defensive positions and Travis d’Arnaud stepped back into the batter’s box. After a 36-minute delay, play resumed just as quickly as it had stopped.