Chase Field roof sticks, closes for D-backs’ home opener vs. Red Sox

The Arizona Diamondbacks were excited to finally get to their home opener eight games into the 2019 season.

But the Chase Field roof wasn’t open to the idea.

Only the left field side of the roof opened prior to Friday’s series-opener against the Boston Red Sox. The right field half didn’t budge, casting a shadow over two-thirds of the field of play.

After a national anthem fly-over by four F-35 jets from Luke Air Force Base, which was not fully visible, the open side of the roof closed.

The roof was expected to be open on the 81-degree day.

In May, the Diamondbacks and Maricopa County agreed upon a memorandum of understanding to end a lawsuit over their control and maintenance of the MLB team’s home.

The deal was struck after the two sides were pushed toward arbitration, giving the D-backs control of their aging stadium and committing them to remain there through 2022.

D-backs remain focused on basic maintenance of the aging stadium and have been slow to use available funds for large-scale projects on Chase Field. Team president Derrick Hall told Doug & Wolf on Feb. 12 that while approximately $185 million was needed for renovations, the team is holding its funds for emergencies.

“We just need to preserve the building best we can. We have to prioritize the needs right now,” he said.

Arizona did spend the offseason installing new stadium turf to replace the old grass field. Due to the roof being open to allow sun in, the live grass had been a strain on Chase Field’s electric bill.

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