Will Simmons walks his dog, Lulu, through Federal Hill Park, in Baltimore. Air quality in Baltimore remains at dangerous levels due to smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketing the city on Thursday, June 8, 2023.
Will Simmons walks his dog, Lulu, through Federal Hill Park, in Baltimore. Air quality in Baltimore remains at dangerous levels due to smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketing the city on Thursday, June 8, 2023. (Jessica Gallagher/The Baltimore Banner)

Editor’s note: The Baltimore Banner is providing this news free to all readers as a public service.

The Orioles are hopeful their three-game series that starts tomorrow in Baltimore against the Kansas City Royals will go on as scheduled despite the poor air quality from the Canadian wildfires.

“We will continue to monitor with Major League Baseball but we hope to play all games as scheduled this weekend,” a team spokesman told The Baltimore Banner on Thursday.

The Orioles and Royals are set to play Friday at 7:05 p.m., though it remains unknown how much conditions will improve by then. First pitch for Saturday is slated for 4:05 p.m. while Sunday’s matchup is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Conditions in the Baltimore region worsened Thursday morning as of 6:45 a.m., reaching “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” levels. Baltimore’s air quality is in the red zone, which means the air is unhealthy for all people and there is an increased risk of health effects for everyone.

The smoke from the wildfires has already put a dent in the baseball schedule along the East Coast. On Thursday, the Washington Nationals postponed their home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to poor air quality in the region. Two MLB games were canceled Wednesday afternoon — the Yankees vs. White Sox and Phillies vs. Tigers games were both postponed because of the air quality. Both were rescheduled for Thursday, but it’s not known if those games will still continue.

The last time MLB postponed games due to poor air quality was 2020, when two games between the Mariners and Giants were moved to San Francisco’s Oracle Park, instead.

The Orioles are playing the Brewers in Milwaukee today with a 2:05 p.m. start.

This story will be updated.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Orioles reporter Andy Kostka contributed to this report.

aron.yohannes@thebaltimorebanner.com

Aron Yohannes

aron.yohannes@thebaltimorebanner.com

Aron Yohannes

Aron Yohannes joined The Baltimore Banner in June 2023 as a reporter. He previously reported on trending topics in sports for The Oregonian. He began his career covering the Milwaukee Bucks from 2012-2016 for SB Nation before working for the Seattle Seahawks from 2016-2018. Aron is Eritrean and a native of the north side of Milwaukee.

More from Aron Yohannes

Ravens vs. Lions preview: Detroit’s offensive weapons give Baltimore’s defense another huge test

Odell Beckham Jr. confirms on-field argument with Simmons was over lunge at Flowers

More From The Banner

Maryland hospitals took money from poor patients. Why haven’t they paid them back?

Joanna Meade reads aloud love letters from the 1920's in the sun room of her home on February 27, 2024. The letters were found inside of a wall during a renovation.

Secret in the walls: Hidden letters reveal love, lust, scandal in 1920s Baltimore society

Illustration shows black geometric fragments falling from the sky, partially obscuring the faint outline of Key Bridge central span. In the background a sunrise starts to illuminate the darkness.

Grieving my brother and the Key Bridge

Sheila Dixon, a ‘filthy’ street and residents who want politicians to put up or shut up