The stage has been set.
The Orioles will host the Rangers in game one of the American League Division Series at 1 p.m. Saturday at Camden Yards, giving enough time between postseason baseball and a concert headlined by Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks that evening at M&T Bank Stadium to help the flow of fans at the stadium complex.
The Orioles are 35-22 in day games this year.
Game two on Sunday, also at Camden Yards, will start at 4:07 p.m. The series will then shift to Texas, with game three scheduled to begin at 8:03 p.m. Tuesday. The first two games will be on FS1, while game three will be on Fox.
If needed, game four will be on Wednesday in Texas and game five on Friday in Baltimore. Times and broadcast information has not been announced yet. The ALDS is a best of five series.
All games will also be on ESPN Radio and available on MLB.TV. Locally, games will be broadcast on WBAL 1090 AM and 97.9 FM. Geoff Arnold, Kevin Brown and Ben McDonald will be on the call for the first two games.
After warmer weather arrived this week in Baltimore, Saturday will feel more traditionally like October baseball. The high is around 67, and there’s a chance of rain throughout the day.
Even with the earlier start time, it will be a hectic day at the Camden Yards complex. A spokesperson for the Baltimore Department of Transportation urged fans to factor in plenty of time for travel.
“Fans attending any of these events on Saturday & Sunday are encouraged to come early and stay late to avoid possible traffic congestion and delays,” a DOT spokesperson said in an emailed statement. There will be transportation enforcement officers working downtown to ease traffic flow.
“Those attending stadium events who do not have passes for the stadium lots are encouraged to use parking garages in the downtown area and avoid parking in nearby neighborhoods, as all posted parking restrictions and residential permit parking regulations in the vicinity of the stadiums will be strictly enforced for everyone’s safety. DOT encourages patrons to utilize mass transit if possible, including the Light Rail, Metro Subway, Local Bus, or the Charm City Circulator,” the statement continued.
Doors for the Nicks-Joel concert are set to open at 5:30 p.m., with music beginning at 7 p.m. As fans arrive for the concert, there is likely to be a spill-out of fans who attended the first postseason baseball game at Camden Yards since 2014. With rain on the radar, there’s a potential for a long day at the ballpark — turning into a long night in Baltimore.