Fans see 1st Nats exho from balcony; Harper HRs off Scherzer

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Max Scherzer and the reigning champion Washington Nationals hosted baseball’s first exhibition game in more than four months Saturday, a handful of fans watched from afar -- really far, seated on a high-rise building’s glass balconies beyond left field.

Nationals owner Mark Lerner and general manager Mike Rizzo each had a better view from the Nationals Park stands, nowhere near each other and both wearing masks, part of many unusual sights and fake, piped-in sounds as Major League Baseball crept closer to next week’s opening day amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"You just have to accept it. Seems like every day there’s a challenge and you just have to overcome it. If this is what it’s going to be, this is what’s going to be,” said Scherzer, the three-time Cy Young Award winner who gave up three-run shots to old friend Bryce Harper and mask-wearing Didi Gregorius in Washington’s 7-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, who rode to the game in a bus.

“This is 2020 baseball,” Scherzer said. "So you just have to keep a smile on your face, just embrace it and have fun with it.”

Red-white-and-blue signs proclaiming the home team the “2019 world champions” adorned the mostly empty ballpark even if no spectators were present to see them for Washington’s first game there against an opponent since earning the franchise’s first title.

This was also the first exhibition game between two teams since spring training got called off March 12 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Not too many folks got to see Scherzer throw 87 pitches and allow seven runs in five innings or Phillies starter Aaron Nola go five scoreless, one-hit innings as both tuned up for opening day: In addition to closed gates, there was no TV coverage.

The umpires sported masks. There was so much silence, occasionally...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Fans-see-1st-Nats-exho-from-balcony-Harper-HRs-15418215.php