Written by Eddie Matz at Espn.com
In the pantheon of fluky momentum stoppers, this wasn’t quite on par with the Super Bowl 47 blackout that helped turn a Baltimore Ravens rout into an overtime thriller, but you could certainly file it in the same folder.
After spotting the visiting Miami Marlins a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in their home opener, the Washington Nationals managed to claw right back in the bottom of the first thanks to a two-out, bases-loaded triple by new second baseman Daniel Murphy. For a team that was one of five undefeated clubs heading into Thursday, and had overcome deficits in each of its first two wins, it looked like the Nats might be on their way to a third straight come-from-behind win.
Then things got wet. Real wet in the Nationals’ eventual 6-4 loss to the Marlins.
On a day when pageantry reigned supreme at Nats Park, this wasn’t supposed to happen. The on-field ceremony during which Bryce Harper received his Silver Slugger and MVP awards from Washington general manager Mike Rizzo, and then the key to the city from DC mayor Muriel Bowser? That was planned. The national anthem sung by the cast of Jersey Boys? That was on the itinerary, too. The red-carpet intros and the military flyover? Both part of the script (although presumably the planes were supposed to come at the end of the anthem, not the beginning.)
The torrential downpour that stopped the game at the end of the first inning, just moments after Murphy had tied things up? Not part of the plan.
Eighty-five minutes later, when play finally resumed, it looked as if the Nats had left their mojo in the clubhouse. Starter Tanner Roark, who defied conventional baseball logic by retaking the mound after the lengthy delay, labored through three more innings, allowing a total of 12 baserunners in four frames. From the second inning on, Nats batters managed just four more hits and went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Washington’s defense looked lackluster, too, as shortstop Danny Espinosa couldn’t come up with a fourth-inning grounder up the middle by J.T. Realmuto (ruled a single), who then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Wilson Ramos before scoring the go-ahead run.
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