The Arizona Diamondbacks’ penultimate spring training contest Monday against the Cleveland Guardians was cut short. The reason behind the cancellation was surprising for more reasons than one.
The Diamondbacks-Guardians game was canceled at the end of the 6th inning due to rain, marking the first rain-out in the history of Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. The Diamondbacks won the contest 6-0.
Even the team’s social media manager expressed disbelief when announcing the news on X.
Tonight's game has been called due to rain.
Yeah, you read that right.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 26, 2024
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DIAMONDBACKS HISTORY, WE HAVE A RAINOUT AT CHASE FIELD. pic.twitter.com/psacYJoJiZ
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) March 26, 2024
It’s a well-known fact that Arizona is one of the driest states in the US. But beyond the rarity of precipitation in the region, Chase Field also has a retractable roof.
However, the team was unable to prepare the roof prior to letting fans in the stadium given the unexpected nature of Monday’s heavy showers. The venue staff is not allowed to close the roof mid-game due to cable issues that may arise with fans in attendance.
Chase Field also isn’t equipped with a massive tarp, which is commonly used at outdoor stadiums to cover the infield during rain delays. The uncovered diamond was soon flooded and deemed unplayable.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo sounded equally mystified by what it would have been like to play on the wet turf at Chase Field. During his postgame press conference, Lovullo playfully invited the media members present to take the field.
“I don’t know what it’s gonna be like,” said Lovullo. “We should go out there and slide on the turf. Let’s go. You wanna go right now? Let’s do it. All of us, let’s go right now!”
Torey Lovullo on the Chase Field turf when it gets wet:
"I don't know what it's gonna be like. We should go out there and slide on the turf. Let's go. You wanna go right now? Let's do it. All of us, let's go right now!" 🤣 pic.twitter.com/NjzdffBMUQ
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) March 26, 2024
Given how rare of an occurrence Monday’s rain-out was, it’s hard to blame Lovullo for wanting to have fun with it. He was also probably in a good mood after his team had just shut out its opponents in the shortened exhibition game.
