Mets and Phillies stars show concerns about playing in unhealthy air quality: 'Not the greatest idea'

Major League Baseball's archetypal crippled aft the All-Star interruption was played successful "unhealthy" aerial conditions.

The Philadelphia Phillies hosted the New York Mets arsenic aerial prime owed to Canadian wildfires reached an scale of 196 - different parts of the Northeast and Midwest neared 500, which is considered hazardous.

Due to the aerial concerns, it was announced astatine astir 4 p.m. ET that the game, primitively slated for 7:10 p.m., would beryllium moved up an hour, which seemingly was a bully idea.

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The prima glows orangish from fume from the Canadian wildfires adjacent the Philadelphia Phillies scoreboard during the 4th inning of a crippled against the New York Mets Thursday, July 16, 2026, successful Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola/AP)

"I didn't deliberation it was atrocious until the past mates of innings. Eyes itching, burning a small bit," Mets infielder Brett Baty said. "[Carson] Benge said it felt similar you were sitting astatine a campfire, conscionable adjacent to a campfire, which was beauteous good. It's fun, but it didn't consciousness large playing shot with it, though."

"At the extremity of the game, it was a small spot much difficult, particularly catching," Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez added done an interpreter. "It became much hard to spot astatine the end."

Mets pitcher Christian Scott said helium "felt similar I was breaking immoderate metal."

Bryce Harper was a spot much stern, saying portion helium was mic'd up connected the ESPN broadcast during the crippled that it was "not the top thought to travel retired and play successful this benignant of weather."

Phillies starter Aaron Nola added that the "smoky" conditions were "not ideal."

Both interim managers, Don Mattingly and Andy Green, didn't look to deliberation the aerial affected the gameplay excessively much, but Mattingly and Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh credited umpire Dan Iassogna for perpetually checking the aerial prime and making definite the players were OK.

A wide presumption of Citizens Bank Park during the crippled betwixt the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies connected July 16, 2026, successful Philadelphia. The Mets defeated the Phillies 4-1. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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"It felt similar it could person [affected the game] astatine immoderate moment, particularly arsenic visibility got tougher," Green said. "Guys managed to spot baseballs that I couldn't erstwhile they went up successful the aerial arsenic pop-ups. Good happening we person bully athletes connected the tract that tin spot things. Don't deliberation it yet did, from my perspective."

In fact, Marsh said the umpires would cheque with the players to spot if they were OK and not having breathing issues.

"Multiple times," Marsh said. "They were checking with us, asking america players, which was chill to see, if we were bully to go. And obviously, we were each acceptable to go. It was bully by them. Wasn’t expecting that."

The Phillies didn't instrumentality batting signifier outdoors, arsenic Mattingly admitted helium wanted to beryllium connected the tract "as little...as possible."

The Mets and Phillies are really disconnected connected Friday earlier resuming their bid connected Saturday, but Mattingly said helium did not perceive immoderate conversations astir moving the game.

Citizens Bank Park successful Philadelphia, during a crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets connected July 16, 2026. The Mets defeated the Phillies 4-1. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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An MLS crippled successful Chicago was postponed connected Thursday, arsenic well. It is expected that the aerial volition beryllium amended arsenic the days spell by, which seems alternatively important for Sunday's World Cup last betwixt Argentina and Spain astatine MetLife Stadium successful New Jersey.

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