Royals powerless to preserve win for Guthrie

KANSAS CITY -- It wasn't enough that Wednesday night's game was delayed for more than 2 1/2 hours by rain. There was another 12-minute delay in the seventh inning, when part of the Kauffman Stadium lights went out automatically at midnight.

Apparently, someone neglected to inform the computer that the game had been delayed and would go well into the morning. After Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie waited out the 12-minute delay while the lights reheated and fully illuminated, he walked two batters and was out of the game. Those two runners scored later in the inning as the Indians tied the game.

"It cost Guthrie a win," manager Ned Yost said.

At least it didn't cost the Royals the game, thanks to Eric Hosmer's game-deciding home run in the bottom of the inning.

Long after the game ended at 1:06 a.m. CT, and the fans had enjoyed the Fourth of July fireworks, the cleanup crews were at work and reporters were working in the press box when suddenly, just outside the quiet stadium, a display of fireworks suddenly went off in vibrant, colorful profusion.

It was close to 3 o'clock in the morning and no one seemed quite sure how or why that happened.

"It was just par for the night then," Yost said.