MLB teams
ESPN News Services 6y

Island-wide blackout in Puerto Rico won't impact Indians-Twins game

MLB, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins

While officials in Puerto Rico probe the cause of an island-wide blackout that hit Wednesday morning, it is not expected to have an impact on the Major League Baseball game scheduled in San Juan.

San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz tweeted that the blackout will not impact the game between the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

The two-game series between the Indians and Twins mark the first regular-season games in Puerto Rico since 2010.

Electric Power Authority spokeswoman Yohari Molina told The Associated Press that crews are investigating the cause of the blackout. Officials said it could take 24 to 36 hours to fully restore power on the island commonwealth, which is struggling with an increasingly unstable power grid nearly seven months after Hurricane Maria hit.

John Blakeman, the director of operations for the Puerto Rico Series, confirmed that the Wednesday game, which will be broadcast on ESPN, "will not be affected."

"This has not taken us by surprise," Blakeman said. "We are fully prepared. Every area of Hiram Bithorn Stadium can run on generators that have a capacity to run for 48 hours. The main building runs on two generators, one of 400 kilowatts and another one of 200 for a total of 600 kilowatts. Each light tower operates with independent generators of 200 kilowatts. The game will not be affected at all."

It's the first time since the Category 4 storm hit on Sept. 20 that Puerto Rico has experienced an island-wide blackout.

Some 40,000 power customers were still without normal electricity service as a result of the hurricane.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

^ Back to Top ^