The Yankees and White Sox returned to action on Thursday, with signs of air quality concerns hanging around.
Smoke was present, if not as much as the day before.
Crowds for the first game of the doubleheader were sparse, no doubt affected by fans avoiding the outdoors.
One White Sox player was extra cautious about the air he breathed.
Chicago third baseman Yoan Moncada kept his mouth and face covered both at bat and on the field during Game 1 of the doubleheader after Wednesday’s game in the Bronx was postponed due to air quality.
Moncada struck out Luis Severino in the first at-bat with two runners on base while his face was covered.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires traveled south, blanketing much of the northeast and mid-Atlantic with unbreathable air.
The Bronx Air Quality Index hovered around 150-160 on Thursday afternoon, marking it as “unhealthy.” Wednesday’s air was above 300, considered “dangerous,” but rose even higher.
“I’ve seen a lot of weird things in the last few years,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “It’s taken a little getting used to. … It’s certainly strange, but it’s familiar territory.”
