Delay? What Rain Delay?

My fourth trip to Nationals Park this year turned out to be a long but exciting day.  When we arrived at the park on Sunday morning, the sky was ominous-enough that batting practice was canceled.  Around noon, the grounds crew brought out the tarp that covers the infield, because it had started raining pretty steadily.  After a 2-hour and 26-minute rain delay, Gio Gonzalez won his 16th game of the season -- a team record -- as the Nationals defeated the New York Mets, 5-2.  The Nationals improved their record to 75-46 and now have a five-game lead over the Braves, who were shut out by the Dodgers, 5-0, on Sunday. The Nationals next play the Braves in an important three-game series beginning Monday at Nationals Park.

But the rain delay wasn’t so bad, because it wasn’t raining too hard, so we were able to go to our seats in section 133 and take cover under our huge umbrella.  The Nationals people were nice enough to show the Braves-Dodgers game on the scoreboard screen, so we kept ourselves entertained watching that (at least I did, while my husband took a nap).  When Luis Cruz of the Dodgers hit a home run, everyone cheered.  I bet the Dodgers had no idea that they had thousands of instant fans cheering them on in DC!

And who doesn't find entertainment in watching the dozen or so groundskeepers rolling up the giant tarp?  They do it with such skill and precision it makes me want to have that job for just one day.  No more than that though; just one day.  I would trust those guys to fold up a camping tent, a giant road map, or even my fitted bed sheets when they come out of the dryer.   

When the game finally started, Gio Gonzalez took the mound.  It was not his best start (I think he was ready for a 1:35 game and was probably tired of having to stay warmed-up for so long), but he only allowed one run in 5 and 2/3 innings.  Gio is my favorite National this year - he's funny, light-hearted, and his hair always looks perfect.  Offensively, the Nationals’ Danny Espinosa hit a two-run homer that scored best-looking-Nationals-player-this-year Michael Morse, and previously-slumping Bryce Harper hit a solo one as well as a triple that scored Jayson Werth.  Harper scored after that triple thanks to a hit by Ryan Zimmerman.

The funniest part of the day was in the eighth inning, when Mets’ right fielder, Scott Hairston, decided to throw his glove down on top of something that was moving right next to him in the outfield.  We didn’t know what it was – a bird?  A mouse?  A snake?  The way he threw the glove down on that thing you would have thought it was a large creature with large fang-like teeth.  Then he removed the glove that was covering the creature and he tried to kick it.  Then he reluctantly picked it up with his glove, making sure the vicious creature did not inject him with a venomous and lethal bite.  When a Nationals official came to retrieve the creature with a big towel, we realized it was a praying mantis.  Yes, Scott Hairston delayed an already-delayed baseball game because of a praying mantis!  I bet you he’s not the one who empties the mouse traps in his house!

(Espinosa after his home run)

So our fourth visit to Nationals Park this year was a long one, but it had a positive result (You think THAT was a long day?  The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday in a 19-inning game that lasted 6 hours and 7 minutes!  With "last call" being after the seventh inning, that was probably a very long game for the fans at that ballpark!).  We will be back to Nationals Park for our fifth and final visit of the regular season in a few weeks, when the Nationals entertain the Milwaukee Brewers.  In the meantime, stay tuned for this week’s 3-game series against the Braves – it promises to be a very good one!

(Bryce Harper after his home run)