New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton homered and drove in three runs, spoiling the season opener for the 2019 World Series champ Washington Nationals in a rain-shortened 4-1 win on Thursday.
Stanton went deep off Nats’ starter Max Scherzer (0-1, 6.75 ERA), who struck out 11 in five and a third innings, but was touched up for four runs on six hits.
Gerritt Cole (1-0, 1.80 ERA) gave up just one hit, a first inning solo homer to Adam Eaton, in five innings of work in his Yankees’ debut, striking out five and walking one.
The game was called after a nearly two-hour rain delay that came one out into the top of the sixth inning.
The grounds crew was actually removing the tarp for a return to play before another rain shower put the kibosh on Opening Night at Nats Park.
Nats’ star Juan Soto did not play after testing positive earlier in the day for COVID-19, though the Washington Post reported on Twitter later in the day that Soto later posted a run of negative COVID tests.
Per MLB protocol, Soto must test negative for COVID for two consecutive days before he can return to the lineup.
The two teams have an off-day on Friday before returning to action Saturday night.
Story by Chris Graham
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