PHILADELPHIA (AP) 鈥� The start time for the MLB game between the on Thursday in Philadelphia was moved up an hour due to air quality concerns because of wildfire smoke from and northern Minnesota, and an was postponed.
Heavy, pungent smoke darkened skies in the U.S. from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast, reducing visibility and prompting warnings that breathing the air outside could
Officials in many cities urged residents to stay inside or wear masks outside as air quality reached unhealthy to hazardous levels, meaning it鈥檚 unhealthy for anyone, regardless of health conditions. The National Weather Service said a lingering high pressure system has trapped the smoke close to the ground.
The Philadelphia region is experiencing smoky and hazy skies. The game’s start was moved to 6:10 p.m. EDT from 7:10 p.m. It is the only game on the big league schedule coming out of this week’s All-Star break.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely different,鈥� Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper said on ESPN during the broadcasting of the game. 鈥淣ot the greatest idea, I guess, to come out here and play in this type of weather, but we鈥檙e doing it.鈥�
, Mets interim manager Andy Green was asked how the conditions affected the game.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they really did,鈥� Green said. 鈥淚 think it felt like they could have at any moment, especially as visibility got tougher. But, guys managed to see baseballs that I couldn鈥檛 when they went up in the air as popups. So, good thing we鈥檝e got good athletes on the field that can see things.鈥�
Phillies manager Don Mattingly said tracking fly balls later in the game seemed to become an issue.
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 seem to be a huge problem,鈥� Mattingly said. “The vision, later on, was a little bit like foggy conditions more than the air quality. As far as the guys were concerned (visibility) seemed to be the problem.鈥�
This is the second time wildfire smoke has affected a game in Philadelphia. In June 2023, a game between Detroit and Philadelphia was postponed due to poor air quality related to smoke from Canadian wildfires.
Poor air quality due to wildfire smoke also forced the Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Fire at Chicago’s Soldier Field, along with a scheduled postgame concert, to be postponed. The game, which was expected to draw 40,000, will be made up on Oct. 6.
Also, the Thursday’s scheduled game between Forge FC and Pacific FC that was to be played in Hamilton, Ontario, due to 鈥渨orsening air quality issues.鈥� The league said on its website that conditions 鈥渄eteriorated in the final hours leading up to kickoff.鈥�
Trinity Rodman, a member of the U.S. women’s national team, said the smokey sky was difficult to deal with during Wednesday night’s NWSL game between the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC at New York’s Citi Field.
Rodman said she wasn’t a fan of the hydration breaks every 15 minutes in the game as the temperature reached into the 90s.
鈥淎ir quality was rough,鈥� Rodman was quoted as saying . 鈥淣ot to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like, 鈥榓nother break, another break, another break.鈥欌��
A crowd of more than 42,000 attended the rematch of teams in last season’s NWSL title game. The crowd was a record for a women鈥檚 sporting event in New York City.
鈥淚f we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn鈥檛 be playing the game, and that鈥檚 my opinion,鈥� Rodman said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day, there鈥檚 40,000 people. It鈥檚 a whole event, so it鈥檚 really tough. It鈥檚 just a really hard situation for everyone to work around.鈥�
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