Kansas City Royals set to play in Baltimore as smoke covers Northeast. Will games go on?
.jpg "Stadium views after smoke from Canadian wildfires causes a postponement of the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 7, 2023.")
The Kansas City Royals are set to begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards this weekend. However, the outdoor conditions could play a major factor due to poor air quality stemming from Canadian wildfires.
The wildfires have raged throughout the country. They’ve displaced over 20,000 people and sent hazardous levels of smoke and haze down the East Coast.
Major League Baseball games have been affected in recent days. Games in the New York and Philadelphia area were postponed this week.
On Thursday, the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas saw hazardous conditions. As a result, Major League Baseball halted the Washington Nationals home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Royals are still expected to play on Friday.
Major League Baseball will continue to monitor the situation closely. The league released a statement regarding the recent postponements, via the Associated Press.
“These postponements were determined following conversations throughout the day with medical and weather experts and all of the impacted clubs regarding clearly hazardous air quality conditions in both cities,” MLB said.
According to IQAir, the Baltimore air quality registered an 180 Live AQI Index. The number deems the air unhealthy and calls for anyone outside to wear a face mask, utilize an air purifier and avoid outdoor exercise.
Baltimore registered higher AQI ratings earlier this week. There was a 190 Live AQI Index on Wednesday. It was a part of a three-day trend with unhealthy air quality.
The forecast looks considerably better on Friday. IQAir sees drastic improvement as the air quality is expected to be in the moderate range.
The National Weather Service also reported Friday conditions are expected to be in the Code Orange range for the Baltimore Metropolitan area. This could affect people with sensitive conditions such as young children or people with respiratory ailments.
Major League Baseball has the final call on game starts. The league will monitor and work with both teams to decide on the best course of action.
What does it mean for Friday’s game?
The Royals are preparing for business as usual. Daniel Lynch will start the series opener against Tyler Wells.
This story was originally published June 8, 2023 at 7:30 PM.
