Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over Pittsburgh on Thursday, concealing the city’s skyline from the seats at PNC Park.
The Pirates and Padres played regardless, but not without delay and protest from players. Players showed up to the ballpark for the afternoon game one day after playing in similarly smoky conditions for Game 2 of the three-game series. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Thursday’s smoke “seemed to have infiltrated the Pirates clubhouse” by the time players arrived.
Pirates stalwart and former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen expressed concern about the conditions while speaking with the Post-Gazette:
“I feel like there’s not enough concern,” he said. ” don’t feel like there’s enough awareness. We’re just out there in it. Gotta get the game in, right? We don’t have to. We don’t have to get the game in.
“Let’s meet as a whole and make a decision. It’s more like, ‘Chicago played in it, so you guys are fine.’ That’s what we’ve come to? They played in it, so we’re fine? I’m sure if we had a health expert coming in here, they’d be saying we’re crazy.”
McCutchen’s concern and that of others, including Pirates catcher Austin Hedges, appeared to prompt what turned out to be a 45-minute delay of the game’s first pitch. After the delay, players took the field amid an air quality index reading that eclipsed 200, triggering a purple warning label accompanied by a “very unhealthy” rating.
McCutchen work a face mask even as he ran the bases. The Pirates went on to a 5-4 victory and series sweep.
Hedges did not play, as he had the day off. But he likened the decision to play through the unhealthy conditions to a money grab.
“That’s one of the things that stinks,” he said. “It seems like getting the money in takes precedent over health. That’s too bad. … It’s pretty frustrating.”
Hedges did play Wednesday and said he had a hard time breathing during the game.
“The amount I was sweating and having a tough time breathing, it was too many things impacting the situation,” he said. “Plus the possibility of what could be happening that we have no idea.
“I think that’s the scariest thing. Is this really nothing? Or is this way more? It’s one of ’em. I wish we knew a little bit more about it.”
Thursday’s game was the latest in a series of MLB contests impacted by smoky conditions across the span of weeks as Canadian wildfires continue to cast a hazy pall over the cities in the Northern and Eastern United States. Multiple games, including a Yankees-White Sox tilt in New York slated for June 7, were postponed amid unhealthy conditions.
McCutchen speculated that Thursday’s game was played because the Padres were in town for their third and final road game of the season against the Pirates, and rescheduling a trip back from San Diego for one game would’ve been too big of a logistical obstacle.
“If we were playing a team in our division or closer, they would cancel it,” McCutchen told the Post-Gazette.
When the game was over, Pirates manager Derek Shelton addressed player concerns and the discussions that were had prior to the decision to play.
“They were able to voice them, and we were able to talk back with them about what was going on and just give them as much information as possible,” Shelton said. “Our player safety is always a No. 1 concern for us. We just wanted to make sure that after there were some opinions expressed that we were able to give all the information possible.”
Whatever was discussed appeared to appease player concerns to a point. McCutchen took a diplomatic tone postgame when asked if he was satisfied about the decision to play on.
“As much as I could be, understanding that, on both ends, this is newfound territory to everybody, not just the players but MLB,” McCutchen said. “It’s one of those things where you have to go through it.
“If something like that were to ever happen again, we have more of a feel for it. We can’t just go in and say, ‘Hey, we’re not playing.’ Or, ‘Hey, I don’t care what it’s like outside, we’re playing.’
“It’s new. It’s new for all of us. Gotta have some grace on both ends. We just went out and played the game.”