Pittsburgh Pirates delay start of Thursday’s game due to air quality

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates game scheduled for 12:35 p.m. at PNC Park was delayed to 1:20 p.m. on Thursday due to air quality.

It’s uncharted territory for the Pirates, who decided to play for the second straight day Thursday with the city under a Code Red air quality alert due to Canadian wildfire smoke.

“I think there’s always concerns when you have air quality issues and we’re going through something that we’ve never been through before,” said Pirates Manager Derek Shelton.

Thursday’s game was delayed 45 minutes while the team consulted with medical experts after some players, including star Andrew McCutchen raised concerns.

When the game did start, McCutchen was seen wearing a mask.

“We can’t just go in and say, ‘Hey, we’re not playing,’ or ‘Hey, I don’t care what it’s like outside, we’re playing.’ It’s just, it’s new for all of us,” McCutchen said after the game.

“I appreciate the fact that our players were concerned about safety, and I think the reason we had the delay was to make sure that we were able to have conversations with some of them about their concerns,” Shelton said.

Air quality experts, like CMU Chemical Engineering Professor Coty Jen, advise against physical activity in these smoky conditions saying it can lead to increased fatigue, among other issues.

“If you’re outside for two to three hours in this type of air pollution, and you’re doing athletic activities and breathing in and out a lot, it’s going to be problematic,” said Jen.

Some Pirates players and fans alike felt the impact of the poor air quality.

“I thought when I was running I was a tick more fatigued that normal. I didn’t know if that was a placebo effect of everybody talking about it,” said outfielder and catcher Henry Davis.

“My eyes are watering and itchy, but I’m okay,” said Pirates fan Ken Bly.

Overall, fans who spoke to Channel 11 were happy the Pirates decided to play.

“We drove from two hours away, so I’m very thankful that they were able to play today,” said fan Elysha Henry.

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