WASHINGTON -- After taking the first two games of their series against the Nationals this week, the D-backs had their series finale postponed Thursday afternoon due to “clearly hazardous air quality conditions” in Washington, D.C., as announced by Major League Baseball. The two teams will make up the game on Thursday, June 22, at Nationals Park, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.
It marked the third game MLB postponed this week due to air quality concerns on the East Coast stemming from Canadian wildfires hundreds of miles to the north. The league canceled games in New York and Philadelphia on Wednesday.
The nation’s capital has experienced hazy conditions since Tuesday, though not to the extreme extents that New York and Philadelphia have endured. Thursday was forecasted to feature the week’s worst conditions in the nation's capital. A fog-like haze and smoky smell permeated the air around Nationals Park when the D-backs and the Nats reported to the ballpark on Thursday morning.
As of 12 p.m. ET, the air quality index (AQI) for Nationals Park was 273, which is considered very unhealthy.
“This postponement was determined following conversations throughout the day with medical and weather experts and the two impacted Clubs regarding clearly hazardous air quality conditions in Washington, D.C.,” MLB said in a statement.
Extreme weather is one of the only things standing in the way right now of the surging D-backs, who sit atop the National League West winners of eight of 10 and 17 of their past 24 games. They came from behind to capture a 10-5 victory on Tuesday and cruised to a 6-2 win Wednesday behind the resurgent Ketel Marte, red-hot Emmanuel Rivera and another big night from NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Corbin Carroll. Arizona totaled 27 hits and seven steals over the two games.
Thursday’s postponement doesn’t alter the D-backs’ pitching plans much other than pushing everyone back an extra day: right-hander Merrill Kelly will now start Friday’s series opener in Detroit, with righty Ryne Nelson starting Saturday and righty Zac Gallen pegged for Sunday. The three-game set at Comerica Park will mark Arizona’s first trip to the Motor City since 2017.
But the postponement does complicate the schedule for Arizona in a logistically challenging way. The D-backs will now play a game on 17 straight days before their next off-day, and they need to fly from Milwaukee to Washington for their June 22 makeup, and then across the country to San Francisco to begin a three-game series against the Giants the following day. In between, they’ll return home to host the Phillies and Guardians at Chase Field next week.
As for Friday’s series opener in Detroit, the team is hopeful outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will be able to return to the starting lineup after missing the past three games due to right groin tightness. The 37-25 D-backs are guaranteed to begin the weekend in first place, sitting two games ahead of the Dodgers as of Thursday’s postponement.
“We’ve talked about just embracing every day and not looking beyond tonight’s game,” said manager Torey Lovullo. “I worry about big-picture things every once in a while. Are we getting too comfortable? Are we getting way ahead of ourselves? It’s my job to keep them in the now and be present. When we do, I think we’re very, very good.”