Major League Baseball

Water main break outside Coors Field postpones Rockies-Reds game

Published Aug. 16, 2014 8:33 p.m. ET

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The sun was out and the sky was clear around Coors Field. So this was one unusual postponement.

The game between the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds was called off Saturday night because of a water main break just steps from the primary entrance to the ballpark.

It will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Sunday. The first game will start at 4:10 p.m. EDT and the second at 9:10 p.m.

The Rockies originally said the game would be delayed 30 minutes, and that city officials were on their way to fix the issue. There were pools of water visible on the street and sidewalk near Blake Street.

Restrooms inside Coors Field were not working and there were only limited concessions as the water was turned off to the stadium. Yellow tape was put up to keep fans away from the street and police officers patrolled the area.

About 45 minutes after the scheduled first pitch, the Denver Office of Emergency Management requested the game be postponed.

"We were told no restrooms. No concessions. You have to have them," said fan Don Evans of Denver. "Important parts of a game. They told us they'd have everything fixed."

Stacy Chesney, a spokesperson for Denver Water, said a pipe installed in the 1900s ruptured around 7:30 p.m. EDT. She also said Coors Field was the only customer in the area without water.

"We're working as fast as possible to get it repaired," Chesney said. "We're really sorry for the inconvenience to the fans."

All this with the sun out and the temperature in the high 80s.

"I wasn't sure what was happening," said Reds manager Bryan Price, who met with Rockies skipper Walt Weiss at home plate for several minutes before the game was scrubbed. "There was water on the road, and next thing they are calling the game."

Rockies second baseman Josh Rutledge was just as stunned. He said it reminded him of a time when he was with the Tri City Dust Devils in Pasco, Wash., during rookie ball and a fire in the area interrupted a contest.

"But I don't know if the game got canceled," Rutledge said. "You can't make this stuff up."

This has simply been that kind of season for the Rockies. They're last in the National League and in danger of losing 100 games for the first time in their history.

"Whatever can happen will this year," Ryan Lewis of Billings, Mont., said. "I'd be surprised if we didn't have a hurricane." 

Here are two pictures posted on Twitter:

Then there's this from a Cincinnati-based Twitter account:

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