Orioles series could be moved to Washington amid riots

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As the streets of Baltimore are ravaged by rioters in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death, the Orioles may be forced to vacate the city.

Monday night’s game against the White Sox was postponed only 40 minutes before the first pitch was scheduled. According to ESPN.com, about 1,000 fans were already in the stadium. A makeup date has not been determined for the game, and the rest of the series could be moved to nearby Washington, D.C.

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“The decision was reached after consultation with local officials," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday, via The Baltimore Sun, also hinting at the Orioles playing at Nationals Park. "We feel like we made the decision that will provide us the greatest possible security in terms of protecting the fans, the players, the umpires, everybody involved in the game.”

As of Tuesday morning, no decision on that night's scheduled game or the remainder of the White Sox series had been made.

Orioles players took batting practice Monday as helicopters circled the city and the sounds of sirens echoed up and down streets. Despite the secured confines of Camden Yards and the busy MLB schedule, the unrest in Baltimore is a hot topic in the Orioles clubhouse.

“There's so many things that go on that you get challenged with, obviously this is a different level,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “There's not a lot of experience with it. So you try to take each moment as it comes and I know there were a lot of calls to some guys' families about making sure they knew what was going on from a safety standpoint. But guys are watching it. They are all aware of what's going on.”

A city-wide curfew of 10 p.m. has been mandated by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for the upcoming week.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura also expressed concerns over playing the series in Baltimore.

"I mean we're definitely keeping tabs on it. If there's anything to do, to go ahead and respond to it,” Ventura said, via. ESPN.com. “But you know, it's concerning to anybody, I think, any time it becomes a violent protest, everybody is on high alert and you're trying to do what's best for the game and the players.”

The Nationals are playing their fifth game of a 10-game road trip Tuesday against the Braves. Their next home game is scheduled for Monday. 

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