NEW YORK — After Wednesday afternoon’s New York game, the Tampa Bay Rays were scheduled to visit the Baltimore Orioles.
Instead, the Rays will fly back to Tampa Bay and face the Orioles at Tropicana Field in a road game.
As of Tuesday afternoon, that was all the Rays knew about their changed travel plans due to the rioting in Baltimore.
“A little different scenario than we originally anticipated,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said before a 4-2 loss against the Yankees. Westy’s (director of team travel, Chris Westmoreland) worked really hard trying to coordinate the logistics and travel. I guess if there’s any good thing out of all of this, we get to spend the off day at home.”
Before Major League Baseball announced the venue shift, there was some speculation the games might get played at Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
“I think anytime some games at home it’s beneficial,” Cash said. “I know there were a lot of different options being talked about that never really got there at all. I just heard that’s where we’re going and that’s what we’re doing. We’re going to adjust, they’re going to adjust and they’re going to go from there.”
About the only thing Cash and the rest of the Rays seemed to know before the game was that they would likely inhabit the home dugout over the weekend even though the Orioles would be the home team.
After the game, some of the details became clearer. The Rays will play night games Friday and Saturday and a day game Sunday.
“I think if you’re watching the TV you’re always concerned but you’re concerned about the people that are there also,” Cash said. “It’s unfortunate but we’ll adjust along with the Orioles and go down to Tampa.”
As for the rest of the Rays, they’re glad to not be anywhere near a dangerous situation.
“It’s different but it’s the right move,” third baseman Evan Longoria said.