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This Home Run In An Empty Stadium Is So Depressing

In the midst of the death of Freddie Gray and ensuing riots, Baltimore is stark. It's really chilling, actually, what Baltimore looks like in the wake of the unrest and destructive protests. The bare, grim nature is even more apparent with footage of a Balitmore Orioles home run in an empty stadium. The Wednesday game, in which the Orioles took on the Chicago White Sox, was closed to the public following two canceled games and a city-wide curfew. The stadium at Camden Yards was completely empty for the entire game. If that sounds like it would've been a bit of an unsettling scene, know your hunch is correct.

A huge part of what makes baseball fun is the atmosphere of the fans. The dull roar of the fans paired with booming commentary makes for an exciting, action-filled experience. Right? Well, in a safety precaution, the league decided the game must go on—but without any audience members. "We believe that these decisions are in the best interests of fan safety and the deployment of city resources," Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred explained about the unusual call. The Orioles won the game, leading with a score of 8 over the White Sox's 2, but even a home run didn't feel as triumphant without any fans present. Check out the empty stadium:

Creepy, right? See the whole, silent home run below:

Eesh. Especially:

The slow panning is actually gutting. It's some post-apocalyptic stuff. I mean, fans could watch from home and bars and other televisions not in the stadium itself, but is that even remotely the same? Sending hope and positive thoughts to the citizens of Baltimore this afternoon.

Images: Getty Images; Digg (2)