Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada forced the Cleveland Guardians and Pittsburgh Pirates to postpone their scheduled Friday night game at Progressive Field. Officials called off the matchup at 4:45 p.m. because of air-quality concerns in Cleveland.
The postponement came as thick smoke spread across parts of the United States, including Northeast Ohio. Air quality reached dangerous levels in some areas, particularly around Detroit.
Doubleheader schedule changes
The teams will make up the postponed game as part of a split doubleheader. The originally scheduled second game will also move from its previous start time.
| Game | Start Time |
|---|---|
| Rescheduled postponed game | 1:10 p.m. |
| Second game | 7:10 p.m. |
The second game had originally been scheduled to begin at 4:10 p.m. Both clubs and Major League Baseball had monitored conditions throughout the day before the decision was made.
Safety concerns drove the decision
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said player and fan safety had to guide any decision on whether to play. “Yeah, we want to be safe for our players,” Vogt said before the postponement was made official.
“We want to make sure that it’s not too smoky, and obviously for the fans as well, it’s just not safe to be out in that environment if it’s not playable,” Vogt said. “We can’t control Mother Nature. So we got to do what’s best and what’s smart for both teams and for the fans.”
Earlier in the afternoon, AirNow listed Cleveland’s air quality in the “very unhealthy” range while the teams continued to assess whether the game could proceed. www.beaconjournal.com reported that MLB had remained in contact with the clubs regarding the day’s schedule.
The decision means Progressive Field will host two games instead of one when the clubs resume the series. The revised schedule places the makeup game in the afternoon and the later contest at 7:10 p.m.
