March 31, 2019 – Nats 6, Mets 5 – Nationals Park

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/mets-vs-nationals/2019/03/31/565897#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=wrap,game=565897

 

Weather: 55 degrees, Cloudy.

Wind: 16 mph, In From LF.

Umpires: HP--Torres, 1B--Conroy, 2B--Miller, 3B--Eddings.

Time: 3:15

Attendance: 23,430

 

Section 313, Row E, Seats 18-19 – our new “home away from home” for the season. Directly behind home plate, on the aisle, one row from the top of the section.

 

Although Washington’s bullpen was ineffective for a third straight game, the Nats managed to pull this one out, avoiding a season-opening sweep at the hands of their division rivals. Patrick Corbin kept things under control in his first start for the team, allowing plenty of baserunners and failing to record a single 1-2-3 inning, but giving up only 2 runs in his 6 innings of work. Washington got on the board in a big way in the bottom of the third on a 3-run Trea Turner homer, following a Robles double and an Eaton single. They added a run in the 5^th on a 2-out Rendon RBI single, and one more 2-out run the next inning on Robles’ second double of the game.

 

As was the case Saturday, the Washington bullpen started off well, with Justin Miller retiring the Mets in order in the seventh. Recently-signed LOOGY Tony Sipp allowed singles to both left-handed hitters he faced in the 8^th, while getting out the right-handed J.D. Davis in between. He was replaced by Trevor Rosenthal, who failed to retire any of the four batters he faced the previous day and continued his streak by giving up a single to Amed Rosario on his first (and last) pitch of the afternoon. Normally-reliable closer Sean Doolittle entered and fanned Jeff McNeil for the second out, but former Nat Wilson Ramos and Juan Lagares then notched consecutive hits to tie the game. The score remained tied for the next two half-innings, but Trea hit his second homer of the afternoon with one out in the 9^th for the walk-off win, earning himself a Gatorade shower on a chilly afternoon for his trouble.

 

Leaving Rockville at 10:00 and getting to the Nationals neighborhood around 10:45 turned out to be not quite early enough to claim parking in our usual area, so we circled back to the Lot-Formerly-Known-As-HH, which wound up costing $15 rather than $10 as in the past. It may have actually been windier than Monday’s exhibition game, but it was sunny and perhaps a bit warmer.