The New York Yankees made a major change in the schedule for their last regular-season series against the Baltimore Orioles due to the forecast of adverse weather conditions for Saturday in New York City.
The game that was originally scheduled for Saturday, September 26, was moved to Friday 25 and will become part of a double single-admission billboard at Yankee Stadium.
The first meeting will begin at 4:05 p.m., while the second is scheduled to start no before 7:05 p.m. If the first match ends after 6:35 p.m., the second will start approximately 30 minutes after the last out.
The Yankees are ahead of the bad weather planned for Saturday
The decision was made against the sustained bad weather forecast that could affect the New York area during Saturday's day.
Instead of waiting until the day of the match to determine if the conditions allow to play, the Yankees and Major League Baseball decided to reorganize the series in advance and play two games on Friday.
In this way, Saturday will be free of matches between Yankees and Orioles, while Sunday's match continues scheduled, for the moment, for 3:20 p.m.
The change takes on special importance because it is the last games of the regular season and both teams need to complete the calendar before the start of the postseason.
The CC Sabathia ceremony also goes to Friday
The date change also affects one of the most anticipated events of the weekend at Yankee Stadium.
The ceremony to withdraw CC Sabathia number 52 and presenting its plaque at Monument Park was originally linked to Saturday's day, but now it will be held before the first game on Friday's double billboard.
The doors of the Yankee Stadium will open at 2:30 p.m. And the Yankees are recommending fans to arrive at approximately 3:00 p.m. to be able to witness the ceremony dedicated to the ex-launcher.
Sabathia will have his tribute one day ahead of schedule, in a day that will combine one of the most important recognitions of the organization with two games against Baltimore.
Only Friday tickets will be valid for the double billboard
The Yankees also clarified the ticket-related situation.
Only tickets corresponding to Friday, September 25 will be valid to enter the double billboard. As it is a day of a single admission, these fans will be able to stay in the stadium for both matches.
Tickets that originally corresponded to the match on Saturday, September 26, will not be valid to enter the two games on Friday.
Fans who bought tickets for Saturday will be able to request a change for tickets for another comparable regular-season match at Yankee Stadium, subject to availability and in accordance with the Yankees rain policy.
The change process must be carried out online and will not be available directly at the Yankee Stadium lockers.
Friday will be an extended day at Yankee Stadium
In addition to the Sabathia ceremony and the two clashes against Baltimore, on Friday the promotional delivery of a Yankees-themed Josh Hart figure for the first 18,000 fans who enter the stadium is also scheduled.
Everything will start early in the Bronx. The doors will open at 2:30 p.m., the organization expects to start activities related to Sabathia before the first match and baseball will officially start at 4:05 p.m.
The second game will start no earlier than 7:05 p.m., although the schedule may be changed depending on the duration of the first game.
This is the calendar between Yankees and Orioles
Friday September 25: Double single admission billboard. Game 1 at 4:05 p.m. and Game 2 Not before 7:05 p.m.
Saturday September 26: There will be no party due to the preventive change due to the weather forecast.
Sunday September 27: The meeting remains scheduled for 3:20 p.m., unless a new modification occurs.
The Yankees will thus close their regular calendar with a different agenda from the originally planned one, concentrating two of the matches against Baltimore in a day that will also feature CC Sabathia and his entry to Monument Park.