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MLB smoke updates: New start times for Phillies-Mets, while Pirates-Guardians other matchups also impacted originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
MLB's early second-half schedule continues on Saturday, but for the third-straight day, games are being shuffled around.
Canadian wildfire smoke, impacting air quality throughout the Northeastern United States, resulted in a postponement of Pirates vs. Guardians on Friday, as well as some time changes.
As the smoke persists, more scheduling changes are coming on Saturday.
Here's the latest on which MLB games will be impacted by the wildfire smoke on Saturday.
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Latest updates on MLB games impacted by Canada wildfires
With the bad air quality primarily impacting the Northeast region of the U.S., here are the games being monitored on Saturday.
Phillies vs. Mets
Originally scheduled for a 4:05 p.m. ET first pitch on Saturday, the Phillies and Mets moved their game up an hour due to anticipated inclement weather in Philadelphia.
While the move wasn't made in direct connection to the wildfire smoke, the teams are moving their matchup time for the second-straight game. Philadelphia and New York played through some haze on Thursday night.
Pirates vs. Guardians
Pittsburgh and Cleveland are slated for a double-header on Saturday due to Friday's postponement for poor air quality.
Per ESPN, the Friday matchup was postponed when teams and umpires met around 4:30 p.m. ET, determining the air quality index of 203 was unhealthy and hazardous.
Scheduled for 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. first pitches on Saturday, the Pirates and Guardians haven't announced any further impact due to the smoke.
White Sox vs. Blue Jays
Because the Blue Jays have a retractable roof at Rogers Centre, there wasn't as much concern for their matchup against the White Sox on Friday, able to keep the roof closed.
Toronto hasn't announced any changes for Saturday's game, but if air quality is a concern again, the roof may be closed.
Rays vs. Red Sox
The air quality in Boston was manageable enough for the Rays and Red Sox to play their doubleheader on Friday, and that's presumed to be the case again on Saturday.
As of 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Boston's air quality index of 156 was considered "unhealthy," per IQAir.
Dodgers vs. Yankees
Similarly, the Dodgers and Yankees were able to play on Friday night in the Bronx.
Around Saturday's 8:08 p.m. first pitch, per IQAir, New York City's air quality index is expected to fall to around 117.
MLB games today
| Game | First pitch (ET) |
| Pirates vs. Guardians | 1:10 p.m. |
| Twins vs. Cubs | 2:20 p.m. |
| Mets vs. Phillies | 3:05 p.m. |
| White Sox vs. Blue Jays | 3:07 p.m. |
| Reds vs. Rockies | 3:10 p.m. |
| Rays vs. Red Sox | 4:10 p.m. |
| Rangers vs. Braves | 4:10 p.m. |
| Orioles vs. Astros | 4:10 p.m. |
| Marlins vs. Brewers | 4:10 p.m. |
| Padres vs. Royals | 4:10 p.m. |
| Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks | 4:10 p.m. |
| Pirates vs. Guardians | 7:10 p.m. |
| Dodgers vs. Yankees | 8:08 p.m. |
| Nationals vs. Athletics | 10:05 p.m. |
| Tigers vs. Angels | 10:07 p.m. |
Canadian wildfire smoke map
Here's a visualization of the smoke forecast through the end of Saturday:
Why is the air quality so bad?
Raging wildfires in Canada and parts of Minnesota, paired with wind, have sent smoke in the direction of the Midwest, Northeast, and mid-Atlantic United States in recent days.
There have been over 830 wildfires, with the majority in Canada and the largest in west-central Ontario. Air quality first deteriorated in Minnesota and Michigan but started affecting the northeast, including New York, on Wednesday.
Canadian wildfire smoke previously had a large-scale impact on the eastern United States in 2023, when New York's skies turned a shade of gray-orange, and three MLB games were cancelled between New York, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
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