CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians and Pittsburgh Pirates will play a doubleheader on Saturday after the opening game of the weekend series between the teams was postponed on Friday night because of poor air quality caused by wildfires.
The teams and umpire crew met at 4:30 p.m. EDT, when the air quality index was at 203, which is deemed to be very unhealthy and hazardous.
The first game of Saturday's split doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1:10 p.m. EDT.
The second game is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. EDT, but rain is forecast for most of the evening.
Pittsburgh's Jared Jones (1-1) against Cleveland's Gavin Williams (10-4) — who were Friday's scheduled starters — will take the mound for Saturday's first game.
The Guardians will call up Logan Allen (0-0) to pitch Saturday's nightcap. It will be his second appearance of the season at the big league level. The Pirates are still determining their starter.
The first series after the All-Star break is critical for both teams. Cleveland (51-46) came into Friday tied with the Chicago White Sox atop the AL Central while Pittsburgh (50-47) was two games behind Miami for the final NL wild-card spot.
“To get 48 hours to really just be with your family, be with loved ones, do something other than go to the field, it is super powerful. So I hope our guys got a chance to turn off and also what it does is it gives people a small reset,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
The Guardians got a boost before the postponement as injured third baseman José Ramírez did some fielding work.
Ramírez had surgery on June 16 to remove the hook of the broken hamate bone in his left hand. He suffered the injury during the fifth inning on June 13 against Detroit when he fouled out on a popup.
When Ramírez was injured, it was estimated he would miss 5-7 weeks.
“He’s been working hard. I think I read the other day his speed is up from where it was at the beginning of the year with his running and he’s been simulating innings. So we’re not 100% sure he’ll need to go out (on a rehab assignment), but again, he’s going to know what he needs when he feels like he’s ready to go play,” Vogt said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
A view from the press box level at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, Friday, July 17, 2026, after the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians was postponed due to air quality concerns because of wildfire smoke from Canada and northern Minnesota. (AP Photo/Joe Reedy)
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty after his second round at the British Open on Friday that dropped the American star out of the final group and raised initial doubts about whether he would show up on the weekend at Royal Birkdale.
In a dramatic late-evening development after a 4-under 66, DeChambeau was taken back out to the fifth hole for a rules review. Footage taken during his round showed him stomping around in high grass to the right of the fairway trying to figure out his shot 72 yards out from the hole.
DeChambeau was seen in a lengthy, heated exchange with rules officials — at one point, he waved his arms and pointed in clear frustration — before being driven back to the scoring tent, where he was followed by officials including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
The verdict then came in: DeChambeau was deemed to have inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing by tamping down a section of grass behind the ball that might have affected his backswing on the shot.
His bogey 5 on the No. 5 was turned into a triple-bogey 7 and the two-shot penalty turned his score to a 68, leaving him three shots behind, tied for fifth place.
DeChambeau left for the range, saying only, “Are you guys having a good night?” as he walked past dozens of reporters, and stopped to sign an autograph before hitting balls in twilight.
Just after midnight local time, DeChambeau posted on X: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”
The post suggested DeChambeau had made up his mind to keep playing. Earlier Friday night, his agent, Brett Falkoff, was asked if the two-time U.S. Open champion would play Saturday and he replied: “We’ll see.”
It is proving an action-packed trip to Royal Birkdale for DeChambeau, who was accused by Nick Faldo of having “zero clue of strategy” when the three-time Open champion spoke on the Sky Sports Golf podcast ahead of the tournament.
After shooting 67 in the first round, DeChambeau skipped media, though later agreed to take a few questions from the R&A.
His answers were pointed. “I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic," he said, before later adding: "I feel like my strategy was nice today.”
DeChambeau — one of the most high-profile players in golf — left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022 and still plays on the breakaway circuit, while continuing to produce videos on his YouTube channel that has 2.77 million subscribers.
He draws attention more than pretty much any golfer, as Friday proved.
At issue for DeChambeau was whether he violated Rule 8 that governs the intended swing.
“An improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke," Grant Moir, the R&A's executive director for governance, told media.
“The player," Moir continued, “must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.”
Moir said this applied “even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.”
DeChambeau missed the cut in each of the first three majors of 2026.
If he does turn up for the third round, he will play with fellow American Sam Burns in the third-to-last group.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States, right shakes hands with Scottie Scheffler of the United States after they completed their second rounds on the 18th green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States taps hands with spectators as he walks to the 9th tee during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States acknowledges the crowd after making a birdie putt to conclude his second round on the 18th green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States plays from an awkward lie to the 5th green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States walks off the 9th tee during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
