The Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets on Thursday night was played under "unhealthy" air quality conditions, a result of smoke from ongoing Canadian wildfires. Air quality indexes in Philadelphia reached 196, while other areas in the Northeast and Midwest neared 500, considered hazardous.

The game, initially scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, was moved up an hour due to the air concerns. Despite the adjustment, players reported adverse effects.

Mets infielder Brett Baty described his eyes itching and burning, comparing the experience to being "close to a campfire." "It's fun, but it didn't feel great playing ball with it, though," Baty said.

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez noted increased difficulty in seeing, particularly towards the end of the game. "It became more difficult to see at the end," Alvarez stated through an interpreter.

Mets pitcher Christian Scott commented on the conditions, saying he "felt like I was breaking some metal."

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper, while mic'd up during the broadcast, expressed his reservations. "I didn't think it was bad until the last couple of innings," Harper said. "It was not the greatest idea to come out and play in this type of weather."

Phillies starter Aaron Nola characterized the smoky conditions as "not ideal."

While both interim managers, Don Mattingly of the Mets and Andy Green of the Phillies, suggested the air quality did not significantly impact gameplay, they acknowledged the role of umpires in monitoring the situation. Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh credited umpire Dan Iassogna for repeatedly checking on player well-being and air quality.

Marsh noted, "Multiple times. They were checking with us, asking us players, which was cool to see, if we were good to go. And obviously, we were all ready to go. It was good by them. Wasn't expecting that."

The Phillies opted not to take batting practice outdoors, with Mattingly stating a desire to minimize time spent on the field. The teams were scheduled to have Friday off before resuming their series on Saturday.

In separate but related events, an MLS game in Chicago was postponed on Thursday due to poor air quality. Concerns linger over the air quality for upcoming major sporting events, including Sunday's World Cup final scheduled to be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.