Wildfire smoke postpones MLB games, other East Coast sporting events
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The fallout from the Canadian wildfire smoke blanketing the East Coast this week included the postponements Wednesday of several sports events. Major League Baseball games in New York and Philadelphia, including the Yankees’ matchup with the Chicago White Sox, were rescheduled, and concerning atmospheric conditions caused women’s basketball, women’s soccer, horse racing and other events to be postponed or canceled.
With New York suffering through the worst air quality of any major city in the world, the Yankees announced that their home game against the White Sox would be pushed back to Thursday, when it will be played as the first of a doubleheader. During Chicago’s 3-2 win Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, the teams played under an eerily murky sky, and conditions worsened the following day.
This doesn’t feel real tbh pic.twitter.com/doIUWSrGOw — Nick Tyrell (@nicktyrell) June 7, 2023
“One thing we did right away was we canceled batting practice and we’re going to do our stuff inside,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said (via ESPN). “I don’t know why I wanted to walk outside, but I just walked out and, you know, see the orange coming through the doors and then you walk out — you’re like, ‘Whoa.’”
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The Philadelphia Phillies’ game against the visiting Detroit Tigers was also rescheduled for Thursday. The Toronto Blue Jays, set to host the Houston Astros on Wednesday, announced that they were closing the Rogers Centre roof because of poor air quality. In Washington, where the District’s Department of Energy and Environment advised residents Wednesday morning to “avoid outdoor activities wherever possible,” the Nationals were still planning as of that afternoon on playing their home game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks as scheduled.
“So far, everybody’s fine. The air is a little bit weirder than normal, as we all know,” Nats Manager Dave Martinez said of the conditions. “I know that MLB is monitoring everything right now. We’re gonna get ready to play a big league ballgame until we hear something else.”
Amid blazes afflicting Canada from its Western provinces to Nova Scotia, the country could ultimately record its worst known wildfire season. Smoke emanating from Quebec, where thousands of people have been evacuated, is primarily responsible for hazardous air as far south as the Carolinas. Midwest states such as Indiana and Ohio have also been affected. Full relief for many may have to wait until the end of the weekend, when wind conditions are expected to shift.
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With New York Mayor Eric Adams saying his constituents were in the “worst of the conditions” Wednesday, even an indoor sports event was postponed. The WNBA announced that a game between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center would be played at an unspecified later date.
“This decision has been made,” the Liberty said, “to protect the health and safety of our fans, teams and community.”
Wednesday’s game between the NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC and Orlando Pride, set to be played at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., was pushed back to Aug. 9. “As the health and safety of players and fans remains a top priority, the league and the club are keeping a close eye on the Air Quality Index,” Gotham had said Tuesday.
Horse racing Wednesday at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack in Farmington, N.Y., was canceled, as was also the case at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa. Delaware Park said that in “acting upon the recommendation of the commission veterinarians,” it was calling off races scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Belmont Park, which will host the Belmont Stakes Saturday, indicated Wednesday that it was planning on resuming racing the next day as scheduled.
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Source: The Washington Post
