Due to the effects of Hurricane Irma, the Miami Marlins are shifting their upcoming home series against the Milwaukee Brewers to Milwaukee’s Miller Park.
The Marlins were originally scheduled to return from the road on Friday, and begin a three-game series against the Brewers at Marlins Park. Though the ballpark was structurally sound after Hurricane Irma, reportedly sustaining just minor damage, the team and Major League Baseball decided that it was appropriate for the games to be relocated.
In a statement, Marlins president David Samson said that it was “agreed that burdening public service resources was not the proper course of action”:
“Major League Baseball in conjunction with the Miami Marlins, agreed that it is in the best interest of our community to relocate this weekend’s Marlins games against the Milwaukee Brewers to Milwaukee. Marlins Park stood ready to host the games, but we all agreed that burdening public service resources was not the proper course of action. Following Hurricane Irma, the Miami Marlins realize that all of our employees, as well as our entire community, have other needs that must take a priority at this time. The Miami Marlins look forward to returning home on Monday to play the New York Mets.”
The Marlins will still play as the home team at Miller Park, with the three-game series including contests on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Sunday afternoon. Leading up to the series, the Brewers are making plans for operations at Miller Park over the weekend. More from The Miami Herald:
The games in Milwaukee will be played as though the Marlins are the home team, with the Brewers batting first as any visiting team would. Due to staffing concerns, the Brewers are capping attendance for the impromptu series at 10,000 seats for the first game Friday and 23,000 seats for each Saturday and Sunday.
This is not the first MLB series to be relocated because of Hurricane Irma. Earlier this week, the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees had a three-game set that was to be played at Tropicana Field moved to the New York Mets’ Citi Field. The Rays confirmed on Wednesday that they have decided, after consulting with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County officials, to return to Tropicana Field on Friday to begin a series against the Boston Red Sox.
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