Marlins and Nationals Photo Gallery - April 3rd

Nationals vs. Marlins - April 3rd

I also do some blogging for the Washington Nationals for mvn.com, and here's a report on the Nationals Game I attended last night...

Last night, I attended the second game of the season for the Nationals, as they lost to the Florida Marlins again 9-3. It was a perfect night for baseball, but the crowd of 20,000 plus was substantially smaller than the crowd that witnessed Opening Day.

Once again, in the first few innings, the Nationals dug themselves a hole and it was too deep to dig out on Tuesday.

Shawn Hill got hit hard as gave up four earned runs in five or so innings. The Nationals defense looked woeful as the infield made several botched plays, and the Marlins made them pay for it. Dmitri Young, the first baseman, made a fatal error in the field that allowed two runs to come in.

Kory Casto, the highly touted prospect in the organization made his debut, and singled in the middle of the game for his first major league hit.

The Marlins starting pitcher Scott Olsen looked very strong, and the Marlins came through with timely hitting along with capitalizing on the Nationals’ mistakes.

Notes from the Game:

• Shortstop Christian Guzman and Outfielder Nook Logan are on the 15 day DL.

• It’s fun to watch Jim Bowden interact with the media. He seems so sure of himself and what he’s doing in light of what the doomsday predictions are for the organization.

• If you go to RFK, stop at your local ATM before the game! If you dare not bring ample amounts of money to RFK for food, drinks and souvenirs, you’ll be waiting and waiting in line at the cash machine. However, if the advice is not heeded, do not be surprised if you miss an inning or more during the ball game waiting at the ATM.

• I spoke with one of the fellow Nats’ bloggers before the game, and the debacle of Opening Day (food running out in the middle innings, long lines, untrained staff, Aramark) is a concern to the team and they are aware of it.

• If you’re a photo hound like me, security will check your camera(s) If you have an SLR camera, keep in mind, the lens can not be any longer than a dollar bill, or security will bar you from entry. I have been asked twice to show my camera and various lenses I carry, so be judicious as to what you bring to the park. There’s not a policy on the website, but I’m telling you what I and several other fans have had to endure.

• We are only into the second game of the season, but the vast majority of the crowd felt that the Nationals will be bad, very bad this season. When the errors were made, the boo-birds were out, and very vocal. Reliever Ray King probably got the worst of it, as he did not run to first on a simple infield play.