The Baltimore Orioles will play a home game against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in an empty stadium, a safety precaution due to the downtown riots triggered by a black man’s death while in police custody.
The Orioles had postponed games against the White Sox on Monday and Tuesday. After consultation with Major League Baseball, state and local officials, the decision was made to play the final game of their series at 2:05 p.m. local time on Wednesday at Camden Yards with the stadium closed to the public.
The Orioles said they’ve also moved their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which was scheduled for May 1-3 in Baltimore, to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Baltimore will serve as the designated home team for those games, the team said on Twitter.
All fans with tickets for games on April 29 or May 1-3 can exchange their tickets for any remaining home game this season on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the Orioles said. The two postponed games against the White Sox will be made up as a single-admission doubleheader on May 28, beginning at 4:05 p.m.
The riots in Baltimore followed the funeral of Freddie Gray, 25, who died on April 19 after suffering spinal-cord injuries while in police custody. Officials declared a state of emergency and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan asked the National Guard to help the city after protesters attacked police with rocks and bricks and set cars and buildings on fire Monday. Fifteen police officers have been injured.