Luzardo angry after A's, Mariners play through poor air quality in Seattle

The Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners played baseball on Monday despite the Pacific Northwest wildfires leaving the city of Seattle in a haze of smoke.

Although the roof at T-Mobile Park was kept closed, the field itself was shrouded in smoke. Some players, including Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano, wore masks to protect themselves from the elements.

A's starter Jesus Luzardo, who had COVID-19 before the season started, was particularly upset by the playing environment.

"When I came out it (the air quality index) was at 284," Luzardo told reporters, according to Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News. "I'm a healthy 22-year-old, I shouldn't be gasping for air or missing oxygen when I'm getting to the line. I'll leave it at that."

Despite the poor air quality, the second game of Monday's doubleheader went on as scheduled. Athletics manager Bob Melvin said afterward that MLB never gave any hints about postponing even one half of the twin bill.

"No one said a word," Melvin told reporters, according to Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I heard 200 (on the air quality index) was the cutoff level to start and my understanding is it was way over that, both games."

Melvin added: "It was pretty smoky out there. And guys were starting to feel it in the second game some. I think the numbers were pretty high."

Seattle won the first game 6-5 after the A's blew a five-run lead. Oakland won the second game 9-0.