San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Ovechkin has first-pitch adventure before Giants and Nationals play
Alex Ovechkin’s first attempt at a ceremonial first pitch was so bad he asked for — and got — a mulligan.
“Too excited, too strong,” Ovechkin said after sailing his first throw over Max Scherzer’s head at Nationals Park before Saturday’s Giants-Nationals game. “I try to do my best.”
Wearing a white Nationals jersey with his captain’s “C” on the front and his No. 8 on the back, the Stanley Cup champion asked for the ball back and connected with Scherzer on his second try.
Ovechkin and the Nationals’ ace embraced midway between the mound and the plate before the Capitals’ star picked the Stanley Cup up to chants of “Ovi!”
It was fitting that after nine first- or second-round playoff exits preceded the Capitals’ title run, Ovechkin got it right on his do-over.
“What I did like is he wanted another throw,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “And that was sort of maybe a little bit symbolic to where he’s come. Where the pitch failed. Instead of ‘That’s enough,’ he said, ‘No, give me another shot at it.’ And he took another shot and did much better. So, I’m proud of him for that.”
Trotz said Ovechkin’s “got to work on his pitching.” Sitting next to a parched Ovechkin afterward, defenseman John Carlson quipped, “It wasn’t good.”
“It was hard, but I think I did a nice job,” Ovechkin said. “So we’re all good.”
“We were hoping maybe he’d shoot it,” Scherzer said.
Ovechkin probably would have been better off.
Or maybe 36 hours into party time he should’ve handed the ball to Trotz after carrying the Cup onto the field.
“Bad pitching,” Trotz said. “I told him I should throw the ball. He goes, ‘I’m good at it.’ That’s not good.”
Strasburg hurt: Washington pitcher Stephen Strasburg will go on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. Manager Dave Martinez said there was no timetable on Strasburg’s return. The right-hander left his start Friday against the Giants after two innings. It is Strasburg’s sixth stint on the disabled list in four seasons. Bruised, not broken: Walker Buehler has bruised ribs, but scans and X-rays showed no further damage after the Dodgers rookie right-hander was lifted from a start with pain in his side. Buehler said he is uncertain how much time he’ll miss or whether he’ll go on the disabled list. He was hit by Trevor Story’s line drive in a game against Colorado on May 21 and made three starts after that, but the rib injury caused him to exit a game Friday night against Atlanta.
Tanaka to DL: Masahiro Tanaka was put on the DL by the Yankees a day after the pitcher strained both hamstrings running the bases against the Mets. Tanaka was scoring his first major-league run on Aaron Judge’s sacrifice fly when he felt stiffness in both hamstrings. Tanaka was pulled after that. The Yankees recalled infielder Ronald Torreyes from the minors.
Betts improving: Red Sox manager Alex Cora said outfielder Mookie Betts, on the DL with a left abdominal strain, “actually felt better” after taking batting practice. “If everything goes well, we’ll do it again tomorrow,” Cora said. “He seems like now he’s gaining momentum.”
Briefly: Colorado cleanup hitter Carlos Gonzalez experienced back spasms and was scratched from the Rockies’ game against the Diamondbacks . ... Pirates second baseman and leadoff hitter Josh Harrison missed a game against the Cubs because of a personal matter, according to manager Clint Hurdle . ... Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis was held out of the lineup because of a sore right knee suffered in a minor collision with outfielder Kevin Pillar on Friday. Travis had knee surgery last June and missed the remainder of the season . ... Angels radio play-byplay announcer Terry Smith was released from a hospital after an irregular heartbeat forced him to leave Friday’s broadcast.