Wildfire smoke at Seattle Mariners game (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
The Mariners have to move another series out of Seattle as the air quality is not conducive to fielding a baseball game.
The Seattle Mariners are currently playing as the home team in San Francisco after moving that two-game series to the Bay Area due to wildfire smoke making it unsafe to play at T-Mobile Park. This came after the Mariners and Oakland Athletics played a doubleheader in hazy air on Monday.
The Mariners have a weekend series against the San Diego Padres scheduled at home followed by one against the Houston Astros. The first of the two has officially been moved and the Mariners will play as the home team on the road once again this weekend.
The Mariners will play a home game in San Diego due to the poor air quality in the Seattle area
This is the smart move by everyone involved. The air on Monday was clearly not safe to play in and the lack of fans in attendance makes a home game on the road less weird than normal. There is no other option as it is too late in the season to cancel games.
The wildfires present a whole new threat at a time when not having positive COVID-19 tests is the main focus. But this is the unfortunate reality of the present and everyone must adapt if the games are to be played.
The focus for Seattle is on fighting for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. The team enters Thursday four games back of the Cleveland Indians, which seems like a lot until remembering the Indians are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. So hope remains.
The Padres just happen to have the second-most wins in baseball with 32, so it may not matter where the games are being played. This matchup remains a tough one regardless of location.