With rain falling and a daytime first pitch scheduled at Camden Yards, plenty of tickets remain available for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Kansas City Royals on the secondary market and the official team site.
As fans looked at the falling prices ahead of the scheduled 4:08 p.m. first pitch, there was a sense of indignation. Baltimore’s Birdland Members had the opportunity to purchase tickets for the postseason weeks ago, and by doing so, they ensured their ability to buy the best locations in the ballpark. But for some fans who purchased upper-deck tickets, seeing a price drop on the official website has caused ire.
“From time to time, ticket prices fluctuate based on demand,” an Orioles spokesperson said. “There are a limited number of tickets available at a lower price point in the left field upper deck section.”
Those tickets are available now for around $77.
The largest drops have been via secondary marketplaces, which the Orioles have no control over.
Graham Berry, a 28-year-old who lives in East Baltimore, said he had tickets for Game 1 in Section 316. He paid about $100 each for them. Now, looking at the secondary market, he saw similar seats available for a fraction of the price. On the official website, there’s a ticket available for $87.40 in that same section, after fees — a small decrease in what Berry paid weeks ago, but still enough to cause some irritation.
Berry said he called the Orioles’ ticket office and they offered him a partial refund, with $50 off each seat, and upgraded his section to 360. It’s a relief compared to how he felt earlier in the day.
“We got presale access two weeks ago. Last year for the division series they sold out pretty quickly, so I wanted to be on top of it,” Berry said earlier Tuesday. “It’s just a kick in the face seeing tickets on the Orioles’ website being cheaper than what was for the presale and not doing any sort of apology about it.”
Much of the issue is out of Baltimore’s control. The Tuesday start time, which was announced by Major League Baseball on Sunday night, left fans scrambling for a day game, adjusting their schedule around work and school.
The rainy forecast, which is supposed to clear by first pitch, doesn’t help either.
The Orioles aren’t alone in seeing tickets available for the wild-card stage. The Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres all have tickets available on their official club sites.
