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| Nationals open season with drama-filled victory over the Braves | Nationals open season with drama-filled victory over the Braves |
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| ATLANTA — Fresh starts come in many forms, in new managers and second basemen, in health regained or a position change. They are treasured most after disappointing endings, after gloomy winters spent wondering what went wrong. | ATLANTA — Fresh starts come in many forms, in new managers and second basemen, in health regained or a position change. They are treasured most after disappointing endings, after gloomy winters spent wondering what went wrong. |
| The Washington Nationals got their fresh start Monday afternoon, a topsy-turvy 10-inning drama in which the reigning MVP picked up where he left off, rejuvenated stars and new regulars contributed, and familiar demons threatened to ruin it all. | The Washington Nationals got their fresh start Monday afternoon, a topsy-turvy 10-inning drama in which the reigning MVP picked up where he left off, rejuvenated stars and new regulars contributed, and familiar demons threatened to ruin it all. |
| The Nationals survived with a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves, because a new face drove in a familiar one in the 10th. Ryan Zimmerman reached on a throwing error by second baseman Gordon Beckham with one out in that inning. Daniel Murphy, who had homered earlier, drove him home. The Nationals are 1-0. | The Nationals survived with a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves, because a new face drove in a familiar one in the 10th. Ryan Zimmerman reached on a throwing error by second baseman Gordon Beckham with one out in that inning. Daniel Murphy, who had homered earlier, drove him home. The Nationals are 1-0. |
| “You have to start someplace,” new Manager Dusty Baker said before the game. “. . . You know the feeling when you don’t have a good team, so why not enjoy the feeling that you have a good team?” | |
| Before the first inning of Baker’s first game as Nationals manager ended, the 1997 Atlanta Braves had paraded around the warning track in pickup trucks, contact fiend Ben Revere had struck out and normally aware Anthony Rendon was picked off first base. Opening Day chaos reigned. Bryce Harper stifled it. | Before the first inning of Baker’s first game as Nationals manager ended, the 1997 Atlanta Braves had paraded around the warning track in pickup trucks, contact fiend Ben Revere had struck out and normally aware Anthony Rendon was picked off first base. Opening Day chaos reigned. Bryce Harper stifled it. |
| Fans at Turner Field booed Harper as he was introduced before the game, and he waved at them, both arms high above his head. The fans booed Harper as he walked to the plate for his first at-bat, and he homered, hands at his side as he rounded the bases. Harper has hit four Opening Day home runs by age 23. The major league record, for those of all ages, is eight. | Fans at Turner Field booed Harper as he was introduced before the game, and he waved at them, both arms high above his head. The fans booed Harper as he walked to the plate for his first at-bat, and he homered, hands at his side as he rounded the bases. Harper has hit four Opening Day home runs by age 23. The major league record, for those of all ages, is eight. |
| The excited tumult paused when he hit it, a flyball that hooked high and deep to right. Everyone forgot to boo as it flew, consumed in a quiet moment of reality, reminded of the fact that new seasons do not always yield new outcomes — for better or worse. | The excited tumult paused when he hit it, a flyball that hooked high and deep to right. Everyone forgot to boo as it flew, consumed in a quiet moment of reality, reminded of the fact that new seasons do not always yield new outcomes — for better or worse. |
| Max Scherzer, for example, began his second season as a National the way he spent most of his first: impressively, but with an unhelpful propensity to allow home runs. He allowed three hits in seven innings, but two of them were solo homers. A half-inning after Harper homered, Nationals killer Freddie Freeman did the same. After Murphy homered in the fourth, his first hit as a National, Adonis Garcia homered, too. | Max Scherzer, for example, began his second season as a National the way he spent most of his first: impressively, but with an unhelpful propensity to allow home runs. He allowed three hits in seven innings, but two of them were solo homers. A half-inning after Harper homered, Nationals killer Freddie Freeman did the same. After Murphy homered in the fourth, his first hit as a National, Adonis Garcia homered, too. |
| Murphy, like Baker, represents the new blood these Nationals hope will help them rebound from last season’s disappointment. For the first time since 2010, since before the Nationals emerged as regular contenders, Ian Desmond did not play shortstop on Opening Day. Jordan Zimmermann was not in a Nationals uniform The Nationals clinched a division title here in 2014. They had 34 players on the active roster that day. Less than a third of those players are Nationals today. | Murphy, like Baker, represents the new blood these Nationals hope will help them rebound from last season’s disappointment. For the first time since 2010, since before the Nationals emerged as regular contenders, Ian Desmond did not play shortstop on Opening Day. Jordan Zimmermann was not in a Nationals uniform The Nationals clinched a division title here in 2014. They had 34 players on the active roster that day. Less than a third of those players are Nationals today. |
| “[What we accomplished from 2012 to 2014], that’s special,” Zimmerman said before the game. “But sometimes it’s good to shake it up, get some new teammates, new voices. Not that there was anything wrong with the old ones. But sometimes, it can be good.” | “[What we accomplished from 2012 to 2014], that’s special,” Zimmerman said before the game. “But sometimes it’s good to shake it up, get some new teammates, new voices. Not that there was anything wrong with the old ones. But sometimes, it can be good.” |
| Zimmerman, Rendon and Jayson Werth earned fresh starts courtesy of improved health after 2015 seasons largely lost to injury. Rendon provided the Nationals’ first hit of the season, a single up the middle in that crazy first inning. Rendon did not single until June 4 of last season. | Zimmerman, Rendon and Jayson Werth earned fresh starts courtesy of improved health after 2015 seasons largely lost to injury. Rendon provided the Nationals’ first hit of the season, a single up the middle in that crazy first inning. Rendon did not single until June 4 of last season. |
| But the Nationals’ good health did not survive Opening Day, as Revere left the game in the fourth inning. The Nationals do not generally provide in-game injury updates, so no cause was immediately given. Michael A. Taylor replaced him in center field, and Taylor’s sacrifice fly tied the score in the ninth. | But the Nationals’ good health did not survive Opening Day, as Revere left the game in the fourth inning. The Nationals do not generally provide in-game injury updates, so no cause was immediately given. Michael A. Taylor replaced him in center field, and Taylor’s sacrifice fly tied the score in the ninth. |
| Opening Day’s energy can bring amnesia, erasing memories of just how many challenges 162 games can bring, obscuring potential weaknesses. The Nationals faced down theirs in the eighth inning, when the bullpen deflated. | Opening Day’s energy can bring amnesia, erasing memories of just how many challenges 162 games can bring, obscuring potential weaknesses. The Nationals faced down theirs in the eighth inning, when the bullpen deflated. |
| Only one member of last season’s Opening Day relief corps, Blake Treinen, began this season in the bullpen. “Different” was supposed to equate to “better,” and still might. But Monday, Felipe Rivero lost command. Shawn Kelley never found it. “New” did not mean “different,” at least for one day. | Only one member of last season’s Opening Day relief corps, Blake Treinen, began this season in the bullpen. “Different” was supposed to equate to “better,” and still might. But Monday, Felipe Rivero lost command. Shawn Kelley never found it. “New” did not mean “different,” at least for one day. |
| Rivero entered a tie game in that eighth, walked one, allowed a hit and hit a batter. Kelley relieved him with two outs and the bases loaded. He threw four pitches, all balls, and three of them bounced. The last one forced in a go-ahead run, giving the Nationals one last chance in the ninth. | Rivero entered a tie game in that eighth, walked one, allowed a hit and hit a batter. Kelley relieved him with two outs and the bases loaded. He threw four pitches, all balls, and three of them bounced. The last one forced in a go-ahead run, giving the Nationals one last chance in the ninth. |
| Werth led off the inning with a four-pitch walk against Braves closer Jason Grilli, and four batters later Taylor came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Taylor hit a shallow fly to center field, and Werth tagged up as Ender Inciarte fired home. | Werth led off the inning with a four-pitch walk against Braves closer Jason Grilli, and four batters later Taylor came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Taylor hit a shallow fly to center field, and Werth tagged up as Ender Inciarte fired home. |
| Inciarte’s two-hop throw beat Werth by several feet, but catcher A.J. Pierzynski couldn’t hold it as Werth slid in. Instead of the game being over, the Nationals had tied it, setting up Murphy’s go-ahead hit in the 10th. | Inciarte’s two-hop throw beat Werth by several feet, but catcher A.J. Pierzynski couldn’t hold it as Werth slid in. Instead of the game being over, the Nationals had tied it, setting up Murphy’s go-ahead hit in the 10th. |
| Then Jonathan Papelbon appeared in a game for the first time since choking Harper last September. He worked a perfect inning. The Nationals won. | Then Jonathan Papelbon appeared in a game for the first time since choking Harper last September. He worked a perfect inning. The Nationals won. |
| “This is the start of a long, long race,” Baker said before the game, in which the Nationals passed some tests and failed others, but ultimately survived. “You just kind of, you wish you had a crystal ball that would tell you what’s going to be the outcome of this, but that would take away from the thrill and the joy of playing the season.” | “This is the start of a long, long race,” Baker said before the game, in which the Nationals passed some tests and failed others, but ultimately survived. “You just kind of, you wish you had a crystal ball that would tell you what’s going to be the outcome of this, but that would take away from the thrill and the joy of playing the season.” |