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A member of the Washington Nationals grounds crew faced a perilous moment during the rain delay at Nationals Park on Saturday. The game against the New York Mets had just begun when rain forced an interruption in the first inning of what had been a scoreless contest.
Initially delayed by inclement weather, the game started under less-than-ideal conditions. Shortly after play commenced, the urgency to cover the field with a tarp arose as rain began to fall.
During the chaotic moments as the crew scrambled to secure the tarp, one crew member stumbled and nearly experienced a serious injury. He lost his balance while rolling the tarp onto the infield and fell forward, just as the tarp was being unfurled. As a result, the tarp briefly rolled over him, but fortunately, he escaped unscathed.
The rain delay lasted under an hour, and when the game resumed, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez quickly made his mark by hitting a two-run homer in the second inning, establishing a 2-0 advantage for New York, which they maintained as the game progressed to the eighth inning.
This game was particularly notable as it marked former Nationals star Juan Soto’s first series playing against his former team as a member of the Mets. Soto, who started his Major League Baseball career with the Nationals, was traded to the San Diego Padres in August 2022. In 2024, he achieved a career-high with 41 home runs while playing for the New York Yankees.
In a surprising move during the offseason, Soto switched from the Yankees to the Mets, signing what is believed to be the most lucrative contract in North American sports history—a stunning 15-year deal valued at approximately $765 million.
As the game unfolded, the Nationals found themselves in fourth place in the National League East, while the Mets led the division.
Source
www.foxnews.com