In a week that's been downright strange in Baltimore, things somehow got a little more bizarre before the Orioles battled the White Sox.

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph signed autographs, gave high-fives and waved to non-existent fans before the team's played in front of no fans Wednesday afternoon.

The game was played with no fans in attendance while Baltimore continues to deal with rioters in the city. The teams' games were postponed on Monday and Tuesday.

While Baltimore has been the center of tension over the last few days, Joseph somehow managed to provide a moment of comic relief, one that was probably much needed.

Joseph did put the whole matter into perspective before the game was played, telling ESPN:

It really is sad what's going on -- not even miles from here. At the end of the day, I don't think anybody likes seeing this stuff on TV or in the news. If you feel like you can escape that for even an hour or two, it does something for your mind and your psyche. It's good to be able to go back to work today, even if there aren't 40,000 of our biggest fans cheering us on. We know they'll be watching.''

It's believed that the Orioles-White Sox contest marks the first time a Major League Baseball game was intentionally played in an empty stadium, although the Tampa Bay Rays have been doing it unintentionally for years (rim shot, please).

Get a look at the otherwise spooky scene at Camden Yards as the Orioles hosted the White Sox in front of no crowd. The O's won easily, 8-2:

Camden Yards
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Camden Yards
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Camden Yards
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Camden Yards
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Camden Yards
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