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| Nationals are doomed by missed opportunities in home opener | Nationals are doomed by missed opportunities in home opener |
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| En route to his first game at Nationals Park, Dusty Baker got lost. The Washington Nationals’ new manager had been eagerly anticipating Thursday’s home opener, but he prefers to use his sense of direction and smarts to learn his way around a new city. After he ended up near Joint Base Andrews and on the Suitland Parkway, he broke down and used his GPS. | En route to his first game at Nationals Park, Dusty Baker got lost. The Washington Nationals’ new manager had been eagerly anticipating Thursday’s home opener, but he prefers to use his sense of direction and smarts to learn his way around a new city. After he ended up near Joint Base Andrews and on the Suitland Parkway, he broke down and used his GPS. |
| “It’s pretty out there,” Baker said. “I was in Maryland and Virginia. ‘Welcome to D.C.’ signs, too.” | “It’s pretty out there,” Baker said. “I was in Maryland and Virginia. ‘Welcome to D.C.’ signs, too.” |
| The Nationals and Baker will have plenty of time find their way, but Thursday their pitching was shabby and offense was erratic in a 6-4 loss to the Miami Marlins that included an 85-minute rain delay in the second inning that sapped some of the announced crowd of 41,650 of its enthusiasm. | The Nationals and Baker will have plenty of time find their way, but Thursday their pitching was shabby and offense was erratic in a 6-4 loss to the Miami Marlins that included an 85-minute rain delay in the second inning that sapped some of the announced crowd of 41,650 of its enthusiasm. |
| If the Nationals hope to return to the playoffs following a tumultuous 2015, they need to feast on the weaker opponents in their division. And they also need the back end of their rotation to pull its weight. Tanner Roark, back in the rotation after pitching out of the bullpen last season, allowed four runs in his rain-stunted season debut. The bullpen didn’t help, nor did the offense, despite the efforts of Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy. | If the Nationals hope to return to the playoffs following a tumultuous 2015, they need to feast on the weaker opponents in their division. And they also need the back end of their rotation to pull its weight. Tanner Roark, back in the rotation after pitching out of the bullpen last season, allowed four runs in his rain-stunted season debut. The bullpen didn’t help, nor did the offense, despite the efforts of Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy. |
| General Manager Mike Rizzo formally presented Harper with his 2015 National League MVP plaque before the game. He held it high in the air with both hands as fans roared. | General Manager Mike Rizzo formally presented Harper with his 2015 National League MVP plaque before the game. He held it high in the air with both hands as fans roared. |
| “It’s definitely something that I’ll cherish,” Harper said. “It’s a new year. I’m excited to get back, get going and looking forward to the new year. And hopefully – as a team, as a group – we can get to where we need to be and can all stay healthy.” | “It’s definitely something that I’ll cherish,” Harper said. “It’s a new year. I’m excited to get back, get going and looking forward to the new year. And hopefully – as a team, as a group – we can get to where we need to be and can all stay healthy.” |
| More fanfare followed: a giant American flag unfurled on the field, a fighter jet flyover and Clydesdale horses parading on the warning track. | More fanfare followed: a giant American flag unfurled on the field, a fighter jet flyover and Clydesdale horses parading on the warning track. |
| Once the game started, the Nationals fell behind quickly. Roark gave up four singles in a row, most on the ground, the last putting his team in a 3-0 hole. The Nationals erased the deficit with one powerful swing by Murphy. With the bases loaded, he smashed Adam Conley’s pitch to the right field wall, missing a grand slam by a handful of feet. The triple tied the score at 3. | Once the game started, the Nationals fell behind quickly. Roark gave up four singles in a row, most on the ground, the last putting his team in a 3-0 hole. The Nationals erased the deficit with one powerful swing by Murphy. With the bases loaded, he smashed Adam Conley’s pitch to the right field wall, missing a grand slam by a handful of feet. The triple tied the score at 3. |
| But Roark couldn’t find a rhythm on the mound and his command was poor. The long delay didn’t help. When play resumed, Marlins replaced Conley with right-handed reliever David Phelps. The Nationals, however, stuck with Roark. | But Roark couldn’t find a rhythm on the mound and his command was poor. The long delay didn’t help. When play resumed, Marlins replaced Conley with right-handed reliever David Phelps. The Nationals, however, stuck with Roark. |
| Roark gave up another run in the third inning – on yet another single. Baker pulled him after four innings and 99 pitches. He was replaced by Yusmeiro Petit, who gave up an RBI single to Phelps, handing the Marlins a 5-3 lead. In the seventh inning, new bullpen addition Matt Belisle also gave up a run. | Roark gave up another run in the third inning – on yet another single. Baker pulled him after four innings and 99 pitches. He was replaced by Yusmeiro Petit, who gave up an RBI single to Phelps, handing the Marlins a 5-3 lead. In the seventh inning, new bullpen addition Matt Belisle also gave up a run. |
| After Murphy’s triple, the Nationals offense sputtered. They stranded 11 runners. Jayson Werth looked particularly astray at the plate. After two Nationals walked before him to load the bases in the first inning, Werth struck out, swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. He struck out in the third and grounded out in the fifth – both with runners in scoring position. | After Murphy’s triple, the Nationals offense sputtered. They stranded 11 runners. Jayson Werth looked particularly astray at the plate. After two Nationals walked before him to load the bases in the first inning, Werth struck out, swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. He struck out in the third and grounded out in the fifth – both with runners in scoring position. |
| Murphy and Harper were the only Nationals to provide run-scoring hits. Facing a three-run deficit and with no one on base in the seventh, Harper clobbered a pitch from reliever Bryan Morris off the second deck. The few fans that remained in the cold and damp night cheered. | Murphy and Harper were the only Nationals to provide run-scoring hits. Facing a three-run deficit and with no one on base in the seventh, Harper clobbered a pitch from reliever Bryan Morris off the second deck. The few fans that remained in the cold and damp night cheered. |
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| Box score: Marlins 6, Nationals 4 | |
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