The New York Mets kicked off their second half against the division rival Phillies on Thursday with a solid 4-1 win, but honestly, the score barely tells the story of what actually went down. These guys weren't just battling the Phillies, they were battling a sky full of Canadian wildfire smoke that made the air in New York City and Philadelphia feel absolutely brutal. MLB even had to push the series opener up an hour, trying to dodge the nastiest conditions later that evening.
Playing Through the Haze
Baseball teams are used to rain or scorching heat, but this was something else entirely. Players were practically inhaling the thick air, and it definitely wasn't ideal for peak performance. Brett Baty put it perfectly after the game, saying his eyes started itching and burning in the later innings. He even shared a teammate, Carson Benge, felt like he was "sitting at a campfire, just close to a campfire." That's not exactly the vibe you want for a competitive ballgame, is it? Baty summed it up: "It's fun, but it didn't feel great playing ball with it, though." Meanwhile, behind the plate, Francisco Alvarez, speaking through his interpreter, admitted catching became way tougher as the game wore on, especially with visibility getting worse. Seriously, trying to snag a foul tip when you can barely see the ball? That's next-level hard. Mets interim manager Andy Green even admitted he couldn't see some flyballs clearly from the dugout. He credited "good athletes on the field" for seeing what he couldn't, and while he didn't think the conditions *ultimately* affected the game, he definitely felt it was "teetering a bit" and "could have [affected the game] at any moment."Bombs Through the Smoke, and What's Next
Despite those crazy visibility issues, Baty and Alvarez actually launched three combined home runs for the Mets. Hitting dingers when you're practically guessing where the ball is coming from? Incredible! It wasn't just them, though, the whole field felt the impact. And then there's Christian Scott. The young right-hander was absolutely cruising through five innings, but the air definitely took its toll. Scott finished his night with just 79 pitches over 5.2 innings, getting pulled after Kyle Schwarber ripped a two-out double. Scott didn't hold back about how it felt out there. "Not gonna lie, towards the end of it, it was a little thick. I felt like I was breathing some metal in there," he said. Yikes! But he kept his head up, adding, "At the end of the day, a little spoonful of adversity never hurt anybody. Part of the game. It was fun playing out there, the stadium was packed, good atmosphere. Yea, it was fun." The Mets get an off day Friday, probably to let their lungs clear out a bit, before they're back on the field Saturday afternoon. While everyone's hoping that wildfire smoke finally clears out, the forecast isn't exactly giving them a break. Thunderstorms are rolling in for Saturday! Interim manager Andy Green just shrugs it off, saying they "just have to roll with it." He's seen it all recently, with games pushed both back and up in the last week. No matter what the weather throws at them, this Mets squad seems ready to face it head-on. Let's see if they can keep that momentum going!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.