Strasburg’s debut shaky; O’s-Nats suspended by tarp issues
WASHINGTON» Stephen Strasburg’s season debut was about to unravel in a five-run fifth inning Sunday, when he walked a batter and vigorously shook his right hand.
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez and a trainer exited the dugout to go check on the World Series MVP, who’s had a nerve issue in his pitching hand. He waved them off.
Strasburg stayed in long enough to face three more batters and allow three more hits to the Orioles in a game that eventually was suspended with Baltimore ahead 5-2 in the top of the sixth — because the grounds crew had trouble unrolling the tarp when a shower arrived.
“I don’t know if you can call it a rain delay. More of a tarp delay,” Strasburg said with a smile. “Add this to the list in 2020.”
The game will resume at Baltimore on Friday, when the teams already were supposed to be opening a series, meaning the Orioles will try to finish off this three-game Nationals Park sweep while playing at Camden Yards.
Pirates-Cards series postponed over virus woes. PITTSBURGH» The entire three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis that was set to begin Monday night at Busch Stadium has been postponed while the Cardinals deal with a COVID-19 outbreak.
There have now been 27 games postponed by Major League Baseball because of coronavirus concerns. The Cardinals have not played since July 30 and have had 13 games scrapped.
MLB said Sunday night that the league and the Cardinals “believe it is prudent to conduct additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before the team returns to play.”
The Cardinals’ weekend series at home against the Chicago Cubs was called off Friday after two more St. Louis players and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. Eight of their players in total have tested positive.
• Pittsburgh Pirates utility infielder Phil Evans will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a concussion and fracturing his jaw in a collision with teammate Gregory Polanco in foul territory on Saturday.
Evans, who was placed on the 45-day injured list, is expected to make a full recovery, but the shortness of the 2020 season means he will not return this year.
Astros, A’s clear benches, empty seats. The Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros apparently were tired of playing nice.
So following two quiet games at the Coliseum, true feelings seemed to come out and tempers flared Sunday, months after Houston’s sign-stealing scandal was brought to light by Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers.
Things got so angry the benches cleared — and the stands emptied, too, during Oakland’s 7-2 victory over the AL West rival Astros.
The Athletics’ ninth straight win was far overshadowed by what erupted in the seventh inning.
Oakland’s Ramon Laureano got hit by a pitch — for the third time in the three-game series — this one by Humberto Castellanos with one out in the seventh, and pointed at the rookie right-hander.
Laureano then began exchanging words with animated Astros hitting coach Álex Cintrón, left first base, threw down his batting helmet and began charging toward him in the first base dugout. Astros catcher Dustin Garneau left the bench to tackle Laureano before the A’s outfielder reached Cintrón, and a wild scene ensued..