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Nationals’ win on Opening Day had plenty of good, bad and ugly. That’s baseball. Nationals’ win on Opening Day had plenty of good, bad and ugly. That’s baseball.
(about 2 hours later)
ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals were down on their knees. Or, at least, they were down to Jayson Werth’s knees — both of them — aimed at the glove of Atlanta catcher A.J. Pierzynski. On home plate.ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals were down on their knees. Or, at least, they were down to Jayson Werth’s knees — both of them — aimed at the glove of Atlanta catcher A.J. Pierzynski. On home plate.
Werth should have been out by several feet: Game over, Braves win, 3-2, on Opening Day. The ugly story of the day would have been that the Nats’ bullpen failed and Werth got himself thrown out at the plate on a crazy dash — mostly his own idea — on a short flyball to end the game. Talk about a lousy way for Dusty Baker to return to managing. What a grumpy season tone-setter, even if only for one day.Werth should have been out by several feet: Game over, Braves win, 3-2, on Opening Day. The ugly story of the day would have been that the Nats’ bullpen failed and Werth got himself thrown out at the plate on a crazy dash — mostly his own idea — on a short flyball to end the game. Talk about a lousy way for Dusty Baker to return to managing. What a grumpy season tone-setter, even if only for one day.
But two knees, flying full speed, followed by a 6-foot-5, 240-pound man, can make a catcher flinch or take his eye off the ball. That final, necessary tag, with ball, glove and both knees meeting on top of home plate, can be an ugly thought. Werth, 36, and Pierzynski, 39, both old, crusty and tough, collided. For an instant the game seemed over. Then the ball rolled 10 feet away as Werth scored to tie the game with two out in the ninth. Werth rose, limped, rubbed then grinned. What grumpy Opening Day? But two knees, flying full speed, followed by a 6-foot-5, 240-pound man, can make a catcher flinch or take his eye off the ball. That final, necessary tag, with ball, glove and both knees meeting on top of home plate, can be an ugly thought. Werth, 36, and Pierzynski, 39, both old, crusty and tough, collided. For an instant the game seemed over. Then the ball rolled 10 feet away as Werth scored to tie the game with two outs in the ninth. Werth rose, limped, rubbed then grinned. What grumpy Opening Day?
The Nats won in the 10th on an opposite-field RBI double, a sweet piece of pure pro hitting by new second baseman Daniel Murphy who also homered earlier, dead to center field. Washington, meet Mr. Murphy. The winning pitcher? Blake Treinen, he of the 0.00 spring training ERA and, perhaps, future setup man. And the save — easy as 1-2-3 with a soft flyball, strikeout and grounder against Jonathan Papelbon.The Nats won in the 10th on an opposite-field RBI double, a sweet piece of pure pro hitting by new second baseman Daniel Murphy who also homered earlier, dead to center field. Washington, meet Mr. Murphy. The winning pitcher? Blake Treinen, he of the 0.00 spring training ERA and, perhaps, future setup man. And the save — easy as 1-2-3 with a soft flyball, strikeout and grounder against Jonathan Papelbon.
[Nationals open season with drama-filled victory over the Braves][Nationals open season with drama-filled victory over the Braves]
That’s baseball, even on a single day. You know it means just slightly more than absolutely nothing. But the players themselves, and managers, love to use it, milk it — a useful tool, a gift, ready to hand.That’s baseball, even on a single day. You know it means just slightly more than absolutely nothing. But the players themselves, and managers, love to use it, milk it — a useful tool, a gift, ready to hand.
“Werth did everything right on that slide — in the old-school way. Both knees, [used to be called] a boomerang slide. That’s tough for catchers,” Baker said.“Werth did everything right on that slide — in the old-school way. Both knees, [used to be called] a boomerang slide. That’s tough for catchers,” Baker said.
You can’t obliterate backstops anymore. It’s against the rules — very new school. So the Werth method is the only “rough” approximation that’s still legal. The danger is roughly equal — quite a bit.You can’t obliterate backstops anymore. It’s against the rules — very new school. So the Werth method is the only “rough” approximation that’s still legal. The danger is roughly equal — quite a bit.
“That was some ballgame. Like the game was telling me, ‘Welcome back,’ ” Baker said, looking to the sky as if 161 more nerve-shredders like this was — well, was exactly what Dusty longed for during his two years in MLB AARP exile. Last chance gone for that title. Now, suddenly, door’s open again.“That was some ballgame. Like the game was telling me, ‘Welcome back,’ ” Baker said, looking to the sky as if 161 more nerve-shredders like this was — well, was exactly what Dusty longed for during his two years in MLB AARP exile. Last chance gone for that title. Now, suddenly, door’s open again.
Before the game, he told his team, “I hope we can shake hands at the end of the season and the whole world, especially D.C., will be happy.” That beats, “World Series or bust” and “Where’s my ring?”Before the game, he told his team, “I hope we can shake hands at the end of the season and the whole world, especially D.C., will be happy.” That beats, “World Series or bust” and “Where’s my ring?”
How do you send the message that fast starts matter? “Let’s get this kitchen to stinkin’,” said Baker. How do you send the message that fast starts matter? “Let’s get this kitchen to stinkin’, ” said Baker.
After the game, the Nats’ initial decision for 2016: give Baker the game ball for his first Nationals win.After the game, the Nats’ initial decision for 2016: give Baker the game ball for his first Nationals win.
“Almost everybody on the team had a hand in this win. You love those,” said right-hander Max Scherzer, who allowed only three hits in seven strong innings, though two of them were solo homers to Adonis Garcia and Nat-swatter Freddie Freeman. “Speaks volumes — to grind out the ninth against [veteran closer Jason] Grilli and find a way to win in the 10th.”“Almost everybody on the team had a hand in this win. You love those,” said right-hander Max Scherzer, who allowed only three hits in seven strong innings, though two of them were solo homers to Adonis Garcia and Nat-swatter Freddie Freeman. “Speaks volumes — to grind out the ninth against [veteran closer Jason] Grilli and find a way to win in the 10th.”
[Scherzer’s exacting preparations ready him for Opening Day start][Scherzer’s exacting preparations ready him for Opening Day start]
Perhaps it actually speaks more like the first page of the first chapter of the first volume. And the next page would say: The young, rebuilding Braves tried hard but they sure gave it away. In addition to Pierzynski’s failure to nail Werth, second baseman Gordon Beckham’s throw after a grounder by Ryan Zimmerman missed first base by almost 15 feet with one out in the 10th. All game, Zimmerman ran wild on the bases — by his standards — as if nothing at all was wrong with his foot. He beat out a double-play grounder. He dove head-first into second on a short wild pitch. And on that wild throw off the box seats by Beckham, he wheeled for second base, gambling that the ricochet wouldn’t go straight to a Brave. Next man up, Murphy, sliced a liner down the left field line for a double as he’s done in 1,000 batting practices.Perhaps it actually speaks more like the first page of the first chapter of the first volume. And the next page would say: The young, rebuilding Braves tried hard but they sure gave it away. In addition to Pierzynski’s failure to nail Werth, second baseman Gordon Beckham’s throw after a grounder by Ryan Zimmerman missed first base by almost 15 feet with one out in the 10th. All game, Zimmerman ran wild on the bases — by his standards — as if nothing at all was wrong with his foot. He beat out a double-play grounder. He dove head-first into second on a short wild pitch. And on that wild throw off the box seats by Beckham, he wheeled for second base, gambling that the ricochet wouldn’t go straight to a Brave. Next man up, Murphy, sliced a liner down the left field line for a double as he’s done in 1,000 batting practices.
It’s not often that just one game reminds you of all you’ve missed for five months, but this one did. First, Bryce Harper “always” homers when Scherzer pitches or when he gets big boos on the road. In his first at-bat of the season, both coincided. “They still love you,” Baker told Harper, dryly.It’s not often that just one game reminds you of all you’ve missed for five months, but this one did. First, Bryce Harper “always” homers when Scherzer pitches or when he gets big boos on the road. In his first at-bat of the season, both coincided. “They still love you,” Baker told Harper, dryly.
Only a crosswind kept Harper’s towering homer, which landed a dozen rows into the right field seats, from being a showpiece. Later, he walked twice and, in the eighth, in a situation where stealing second base to get in scoring position with two outs might be vital, he picked a curveball count, read the pitcher’s leg kick correctly and stole the bag cleanly. Coach-of-thieves Davey Lopes approved.Only a crosswind kept Harper’s towering homer, which landed a dozen rows into the right field seats, from being a showpiece. Later, he walked twice and, in the eighth, in a situation where stealing second base to get in scoring position with two outs might be vital, he picked a curveball count, read the pitcher’s leg kick correctly and stole the bag cleanly. Coach-of-thieves Davey Lopes approved.
“Why not?” Harper said of the Scherzer-plus-boos-equals-homer formula. Then, with vet sophistication, he added slyly, “First time I’ve ever seen Turner Field sold out.”“Why not?” Harper said of the Scherzer-plus-boos-equals-homer formula. Then, with vet sophistication, he added slyly, “First time I’ve ever seen Turner Field sold out.”
All the details that baseball loves decided the late innings. Werth reached base on a leadoff walk. He got to third because Danny Espinosa got down a two-strike bunt — toward first base, not third, like his first two failed attempts — that had perfect backspin, checked up and ended as a hit.All the details that baseball loves decided the late innings. Werth reached base on a leadoff walk. He got to third because Danny Espinosa got down a two-strike bunt — toward first base, not third, like his first two failed attempts — that had perfect backspin, checked up and ended as a hit.
“They made errors, we didn’t,” Baker said.“They made errors, we didn’t,” Baker said.
But the Nats made mental errors and errors of composure, too. Felipe Rivero issued a walk with one out in the eighth in a 2-2 game and then hit Freeman with a pitch to load the bases. He missed pitches by feet, not inches. Then Shawn Kelley, the $15 million free agent, came into that two-out jam and walked Garcia, forcing in the go-ahead run, on four awful pitches — two sliders that bounced and two fastballs that missed badly. The Nats were pleased they “bailed Kelley out.” He better start bailing, too.But the Nats made mental errors and errors of composure, too. Felipe Rivero issued a walk with one out in the eighth in a 2-2 game and then hit Freeman with a pitch to load the bases. He missed pitches by feet, not inches. Then Shawn Kelley, the $15 million free agent, came into that two-out jam and walked Garcia, forcing in the go-ahead run, on four awful pitches — two sliders that bounced and two fastballs that missed badly. The Nats were pleased they “bailed Kelley out.” He better start bailing, too.
[Daniel Murphy gives Nationals their money’s worth in season opener][Daniel Murphy gives Nationals their money’s worth in season opener]
Still, this game came down to Werth, standing on third, deciding to go for home on Michael A. Taylor’s short fly to center. Before the game, Werth chatted about that third base bag being the exact spot where the finish line was located for the dash events at the 1996 Olympics when Turner Field was the main track venue.Still, this game came down to Werth, standing on third, deciding to go for home on Michael A. Taylor’s short fly to center. Before the game, Werth chatted about that third base bag being the exact spot where the finish line was located for the dash events at the 1996 Olympics when Turner Field was the main track venue.
“My mom ran track — the long jump. She was in Russia in the finals in the 100-meter dash at the world championships once,” Werth said. “So my mom was one of the 10 fastest chicks in the world.”“My mom ran track — the long jump. She was in Russia in the finals in the 100-meter dash at the world championships once,” Werth said. “So my mom was one of the 10 fastest chicks in the world.”
So, how could he resist the risk, standing on third base, poised to dash on such an Olympic spot.So, how could he resist the risk, standing on third base, poised to dash on such an Olympic spot.
“Hey, I’m still pretty fast,” Werth said, sheepishly, ice bag on his knee. “Well, faster than my mom.”“Hey, I’m still pretty fast,” Werth said, sheepishly, ice bag on his knee. “Well, faster than my mom.”