TORONTO -- A sudden shower forced a rare rain delay at SkyDome, where the retractable roof was open when bad weather moved in during Thursday night's game between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

There was a 26-minute delay in the top of the sixth inning. It was the fourth rain delay -- and the longest -- at SkyDome, which opened in 1989.

Kelvim Escobar was pitching to Carl Everett when the game was halted as lightning flashed. The rain sent fans scurrying for cover, and they booed as the grounds crew scrambled for the tarpaulins.

The grounds crew began taking off the tarps when it started to trickle, but the rain came back in full force and the field was again covered.

Closing the dome's three roof panels takes about 20 minutes. The process began just before the top of the sixth, and the crowd cheered when it was completed.

When the game resumed, Everett hit an RBI double.

This was the first rain delay at SkyDome since July 21, 1994. There was a 35-minute delay at the park on Aug. 27, 1990, when a swarm of bugs flew in and fog forced a 14-minute delay in 1994.