It’s hard to know for sure if any of the Washington Nationals bore any lingering resentment to the Pirates for the way Max Scherzer‘s bid at a perfect game ended yesterday, scuttled on the crag of Jose Tabata‘s elbow protector. But if they did, the lineup wasted no time taking out their frustration during a first inning that saw eight hits, nine runs, and 43 pitches, and reduced Pirates starter Charlie Morton to a smoldering mess.
It started innocently enough, with Yunel Escobar collecting a simple single, but Bryce Harper really got the party started afterward, crushing a ball into the right field stands for his 24th home run of the season.