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Giants, Athletics play under ominous orange sky amid California wildfires

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor
·3 min read

When the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics took the field for their respective home games Wednesday night, they did so under an ominous orange-colored sky.

The unique atmosphere is a direct result of wildfires that are blanketing Northern California.

Here’s a look at the scene.

Said Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker, whose team was in Oakland to play the A's Wednesday night: "I was actually playing Jimi Hendrix today: 'The Sky is Crying. The sky was crying today. It was orange. I thought I was going to go outside and see Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now. It’s a strange and eerie feeling.”

Air quality deemed safe

Many who have peered toward the California sky have echoed Baker’s comments. However, despite what appear to be unhealthy conditions, the Giants’ game against the Seattle Mariners in San Francisco and the Athletics’ game against the Astros in Oakland were cleared to continue after the air quality was deemed safe.

From NBC Sports Bay Area:

"I think we're always monitoring air quality. Certainly, it was a strange look when we all woke up this morning and found the orange-ish/red hue to the sky. Walking onto the field today was certainly different, in the middle of the afternoon and having the sky look a little bit dark," manager Gabe Kapler said. "But my understanding is that the air quality is okay. Of course, we'll keep tabs on it, and if anything changes we'll make the best decisions for the health and well-being of our players."

The AQI (air quality index) in San Francisco rated at 90 as Kapler spoke, which is considered moderate. As odd as the scene has been in the city, the Giants have played under similar conditions in terms of air quality for much of the last couple of weeks as fires have raged across the state.

Reports indicated that conditions had improved throughout the day. That should bode well for Oakland, who will host Houston again on Thursday. But the serious and unpredictable nature of the burning wildfires that was hidden behind this visual spectacle was not lost on those who took the field.

The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics played their respective home games Wednesday night under an ominous orange sky caused by wildfires burning across Northern California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics played their respective home games Wednesday night under an ominous orange sky caused by wildfires burning across Northern California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

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