WASHINGTON – Opening day, already five days late, kicked off with a meet and greet between old heroes Max Scherzer and recently signed hunt Jonathan Lockroy.
Manager Davy Martinez ended up lifting his player, Juan Soto, off the ground with joy, acting for a moment as if he didn’t want to leave her.
Tuesday afternoon, the Washington Nationals were finally able to play baseball, the last of the 30 major teams in the league to take the field and the only individual residing in what can only be described as the middle position of the major leagues.
2019’s not back – but due to the fact that the global pandemic prevented their fans from seeing a banner flying high over Nationals Park, they raised another former elites to their first team at the World Championships.
It’s not back in 2020 – however, COVID-19 is not yet spreading, despite being hit, so four of the citizens who tested positive for the coronavirus and seven others reported for contact tracing were not near the stadium.
It’s 2021, and Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber are supposed to mark a shift of the page from an increasingly mysterious race to a pentagonal battle for the Eastern National League.
Instead, they are in the group of mighty veterinarians confined to the sidelines, as 11 have temporarily replaced them, and five of them pressed for service against the Atlanta Braves.
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So they played Game # 1 after so many teams had five in the books and discovered that this year of baseball transformation – midway through the pandemic at least – doesn’t have to be a nightmare.
3 hours and 10 minutes later, after slowing down for most of last week, Soto devoured a fast 3 and 0 ball from Braves loyal Will Smith, drove Victor Robles home with the winning round, and the citizens already felt the difference of gloom and strength. Lost 2020.
The crowd, which was not 5,000 due to local regulations, shouted as loudly as possible. Soto teammates rushed to the training center in order to attack the game-winning champ after his first exit in his career – despite the passion that Martinez said was invisible in the 60-match race last year.
And after Soto pulled out of his fun companions, she was pregnant Victory 6-5Martinez blocked his way and embraced it – days and days of pandemic listings and logistics giving way to exhausting joy.
If this is what baseball will look like in 2021, consider it an important, if temporary, upgrade from last year’s game.
“It was very emotional,” said Martinez of the opening game, which began with a set of 19-man bargains and ended with a 3-0, 5-4 comeback. “It ended really well. I’ll rest, sit at my desk and enjoy a glass of wine.
“I didn’t want to play any more roles. We have two games tomorrow.”
Martinez’s realistic message – well, with maybe a little Cabernet Sauvignon – was a reminder that the countrymen and the brave people will play two on Wednesday, because they haven’t played on a perfectly good Monday. It was a reminder that at some point, they’ll have to make three matches for the New York Mets after that The opening series of three matches was eliminated While the Nationals and MLB tried to put their arms around the creamed hog from the COVID-19 outbreak that unfortunately implanted itself when the club came home from spring training.
That makeup will come in due time. It was the # 1 win for many tasted.
Get started with Lucroy. The veteran catcher has been waiting for a job – and admittedly, he’s looking to carrot the 10 years of major league service time and the pension that comes with it.
He’s just days shy of this sign, but he knows it might not come with the natives. Scherzer indicated that Alex Avila and Jan Gomez should not be kept off the tweezers for too long because they are awaiting the permit.
Perhaps that is why Lockroy couldn’t get himself to refer to the citizens as “we” on Wednesday. Instead, his inspiration was Keanu Reeves.
Lockroy said, “I feel like a mercenary, sort of, like Shane Falco in ‘The Alternatives.’ But hey, I’m playing baseball. All that happens.
“These guys have a private club. I’m happy to be a small part of it now.”
It turns out Lockroy led home in the first two rounds of the season with a second half double, although he initially struggled to peck with Scherzer, who made four singles at home but scored nine as well.
Lockroy and Scherzer spoke on Monday, meeting on Tuesday and avoiding enough sweet spots to keep the Braves unbeaten. Braves homer’s potential green light was reversed, enabling Soto to send fans – yes, fans – home.
“It feels great,” Soto said. “It’s crazy how satisfied you feel. I can’t believe until the ninth inning, with the roar of the crowd, it makes my heart shoot faster. It just feels great.”
Soon, he will be sharing this with several of his friends. And 2021 may truly acquire its interesting baseball identity.
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