MLB postpones Nationals-D-backs game; Yankees, Phillies play on through the smoke
Hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires forced Major League Baseball to postpone a game for a second consecutive day, with poor air quality in Washington pushing Thursday’s Nationals-Arizona Diamondbacks contest off the schedule.
MLB announced that game will be made up at Nationals Park on June 22, when the Nationals and Diamondbacks have a mutual off day to finish their three-game series. It said Thursday's game was postponed due to "clearly hazardous air conditions in Washington D.C."
Thursday’s air quality worsened in Washington - the air quality index peaked at 273, termed "very unhealthy" and not far from a hazardous reading of 300 - and remained poor in Philadelphia, where Wednesday’s Detroit Tigers-Phillies game was postponed. The clubs simply moved the game back to 6 ET Thursday evening. But air quality remained unhealthy in Philadelphia and an advisory runs through at least Friday morning.
And the Yankees and Chicago White Sox are playing a doubleheader in New York that began at 4 ET, under improved but still unhealthy conditions. The air quality index near Yankee Stadium was 173 around gametime, which the Environmental Protection Agency classifies as unhealthy, with conditions more greatly affecting those with health conditions.
Two hours later, the AQI was measured at 165 near Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies-Tigers game began in Philadelphia.
MLB said additional updates may be forthcoming.
In Washington, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments issued an unprecedented Code Purple advisory, which by EPA standards urges avoiding "long or intense" outside activities and for sensitive groups to cease all physical activity outdoors.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB postpones Nationals-Diamondbacks game because of smoke
