July 6, 2018 – Nats 3, Marlins 2 – Nationals Park

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/mark-reynolds-hits-pinch-hr-for-walk-off-win/c-284551684

 

Attendance: 32,652

Duration: 3:13

Weather: 85 degrees, Mostly Cloudy

Wind: 11 MPH In From Center

Umpires: HP: Mike DiMuro. 1B: Mark Wegner. 2B: Jim Reynolds. 3B: John Tumpane.

 

Section 318, Row C, Seats 3-5 (about halfway between home and first base)

 

Game notes – Gio struggled with his pitch count from the outset, finally giving up a run in the top of the 3^rd … Nats took the lead an inning later when Rendon and Harper drew walks to start the inning, followed by RBI singles from Eaton and Difo … Gonzalez issued a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 5^th to tie the score, but then finished his 114-pitch outing by fanning Justin Bour and Garrett Cooper … Rendon and Harper also led off the bottom of the 8^th with walks, followed by a Matt Adams infield single, but Washington stranded all 3 runners … Mark Reynolds pinch-hit for Doolittle to lead off the 9^th and hit a walk-off HR to left

 

Other – comfortable evening after several days of intense heat and humidity … long concession lines despite a less-than-sellout crowd for the Bryce Harper bobblehead

July 2, 2018 – Red Sox 4, Nats 3 – Nationals Park

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-records-1000th-nats-strikeout/c-283970100

 

Attendance: 39,002

Duration: 3:15

Weather: 95 degrees, Clear

Wind: 10 MPH Out to Center

Umpires: HP: Jerry Layne. 1B: Vic Carapazza. 2B: Jordan Baker. 3B: Jeremie Rehak.

 

Game notes – after retiring the visitors 1-2-3 in the 1^st, Scherzer ran into trouble the next inning, when a single, hit batter, and a wild pitch gave Boston runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with 2 out … Nats elected to walk the light-hitting Jackie Bradley Jr., which backfired spectacularly when pitcher Rick Porcello doubled to clear the bases … Max ran into more trouble in the 3^rd, with his pitch count mounting, but recovered to last 6 innings and prevent further damage … Porcello limited Washington to solo homers by Rendon in the 4^th and Murphy in the 6^th, but Kintzler entered in the top of the 7^th and gave up a leadoff Mookie Betts shot to negate Murphy’s blast … Joe Kelly allowed a leadoff HR by Harper in the 8^th, but fanned the next 2 batters, and Boston closer Craig Kimbrel did the rest

 

Other – our drive down was relatively slow, meaning that our usual parking area was full, so we had to go back to The Lot Formerly Known As HH as a backup … despite the extreme heat, the Nats didn’t appear to open a cooling room, to my great surprise