PHOTOS: Amid unrest in Baltimore, Orioles host White Sox in game closed to public

by Jonah Birenbaum 16h ago

Tommy Gilligan / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Continued civil unrest in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray has resulted in violent riots and hundreds of arrests in over the last few days, compelling the governor of Maryland to declare a state of emergency.
The chaos also wreaked havoc on the Baltimore Orioles' demanding schedule, prompting the postponement of two games while forcing the club to find a new locale for their upcoming weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Amid several scheduling changes, the Orioles also bumped Wednesday's game against the Chicago White Sox ahead to 2:05 p.m. - it was originally slated for a 7:05 start. Due to safety concerns, however, no fans were permitted to attend Wednesday's contest at Camden Yards, the first game in MLB history to be closed to the public.
"I think we made the right move -- speaking with my head rather than my heart," Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said prior to Wednesday's game.
Here are some photos from a highly irregular Wednesday afternoon in Baltimore.

(Courtesy: @jonmorosi)

(Courtesy: @jonbernhardt)
A pair of scouts accounted for the only bodies in the lower bowl at Camden Yards as the two clubs stood for a recorded version of the national anthem.

(Courtesy: @danconnollysun)

(Courtesy: @MaxReiss)

(Courtesy: Al Tielemans - @SInow)

White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton, by the way, managed to find some levity in the situation.

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph, meanwhile, tried to recreate the typical gameday experience by pretending to sign auographs before giving a hearty salute to the non-existent crowd.

(Courtesy: Jake Ciely)A first-inning home run from Davis provided one of the game's most surreal moments when the 29-year-old circled the bases in relative silence. There also weren't any fans on Eutaw Street to scramble after the souvenir.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Davis, a creature of habit, also tossed the ball into the empty seats above the third-base dugout after recording the final out in the top of the fifth inning.

(Courtesy: Bryce Derouin)