MIDLAND, MI – Friday’s scheduled series opener between the West Michigan Whitecaps (36-49) and the Great Lakes Loons (51-33) at Dow Diamond has been postponed due to insufficient air quality from the Canadian Wildfires moving over the region throughout the week.
In consultation with local weather and health officials for the safety of fans and players and per MLB safety guidelines, the decision was made to postpone Friday’s contest. Throughout the day, the City of Midland registered air quality readings between 230 and 300, putting the surrounding air in a ‘Very Unhealthy to Hazardous’ category, according to AccuWeather.
Friday’s game becomes part of a Saturday doubleheader starting at 5:35 pm. The two seven-inning games will consist of an approx. 40-minute break in between contests. Saturday’s ballgame between the ‘Caps and Loons is expected to be played as scheduled due to forecast models predicting air quality to improve substantially in time for the contest. This becomes the first Whitecaps game to be postponed due to air quality since a game was shelved between the Whitecaps and Dayton Dragons at LMCU Ballpark on June 27, 2023.
Entering the weekend, the Whitecaps and Loons have played 12 games against one another, with the ‘Caps posting a record of 3-9 in those contests. West Michigan (12-9) and Great Lakes (15-5) enter this series as two of only three teams in the Midwest League Eastern Division with a winning record in the second half.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps and Loons are now slated to begin this series with a Saturday doubleheader at Dow Diamond with first pitch scheduled for 5:35pm. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 5:20pm on ‘The Ticket West Michigan’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids, or listen to all the action on whitecapsbaseball.com.
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