Short, just like the season
Rain gives Yanks a win on a night more about reflections, ceremonies
WASHINGTON — The Nationals and Yankees knelt in unison before the first game of the baseball season Thursday night, part of an Opening Day ceremony that included references to Black Lives Matter, the coronavirus pandemic — including an off-the-mark first pitch by Dr. Anthony Fauci — and the Nationals’ 2019 championship.
But like the season itself, the game was delayed — called because of rain in the sixth inning with the Yankees leading 4-1. It goes down as an official game and a Yankees victory.
Players from both teams wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts during batting practice at Nationals Park, and the letters “BLM” were stenciled into the back of the mound at the center of the diamond.
In a poignant reference to the racial reckoning happening in the U.S., players and other members of both teams held a long black ribbon while standing spaced out along the two foul lines. After they placed the ribbon on the ground, everyone then got on their knees.
They all then rose for a taped playing of the national anthem.
Yankees players decided Wednesday they wanted to kneel for 60 seconds before the anthem. Yankees officials then asked the Nationals if that time could be added to the pregame script. The Nationals decided they wanted to join the Yankees.
“We’ve had conversations as an organization,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “We’ve had conversations as a team. We’ve had smaller group conversations. Conversations with one another. And we’ve kind of decided . . . we’ll, as a team, have our own demonstration on the field.”
That display followed a series of videos shown on the outfield scoreboard: about Black Lives Matter, showing major-league players such as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Nats’ Howie Kendrick; about the Nationals’ postseason run; about the COVID-19 outbreak.
Without any spectators present to appreciate the celebrations, flags noting the franchise’s first title were raised beyond right field and above the scoreboard, and “2019 World Champions” was written on a red mat that was wrapped around the batter’s boxes during pregame introductions.
Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, was invited by the Nationals to throw out the ceremonial first pitch -- a fitting choice during the current medical crisis. Wearing a mask on the mound, Fauci sent his toss well wide of home plate, and the ball bounced past his “catcher,” Nats reliever Sean Doolittle.
Afterward, Fauci and Doolittle tapped gloves instead of shaking hands.
Judge got the first hit of the season and teammate Giancarlo Stanton soon tagged Nats ace Max Scherzer for the first home run of the season.
In the bottom of the first inning, Adam Eaton homered off prized Yankees newcomer Gerrit Cole.
The Nationals were dealt a blow hours before the game when young star Juan Soto tested positive for the coronavirus, general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed. Soto, who hit 34 home runs and drove in 110 runs last season, is asymptomatic after taking a test Tuesday.