Good Morning, Washington Nationals Fans,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, April 2.

Welcome to the Morning Briefing! Richard here. Let’s talk about yesterday’s Home Opener and the rest of the week.

Leading this Morning’s Briefing: Day off Blues

Well, it wasn’t the start to the 2024 season at home that the Washington Nationals were looking for as they dropped their home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4.

Things got interesting in the bottom of the seventh inning when Riley Adams hit his first home run of the season to tie the game 3-3. However, the fun at Nationals Park didn’t last long. In the top of the eighth inning, the Pirates scored three to break the game open, as the Pirates went on to win. The Washington Nationals bullpen was once again a thorn in the side of the Nationals.

LHP MacKenzie Gore kept the Nationals in striking distance with six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in yesterday’s home opener. Gore did suffer from a lack of command at the beginning of the game; however did settle down as he pitched deeper in the game. “Adrenaline's a good thing, if you use it the right way," Gore said to the media after the game. “I'm not going to necessarily say I did that the best way. But I was excited."  Gore recognized his lack of command at the beginning of the game and said, "I didn't execute well early, but we made it where it wasn't as bad as it could've been," he said. "We settled in and did end up getting to the sixth."

Today, the Nationals have a day off before playing eight games in a row where they will face the Phillies at the end of this week and then travel to the West to face the San Francisco Giants early next week.  Tomorrow, the Nationals will continue their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The First Pitch will be at 6:45 p.m., and the Nationals plan to send RHP Trevor Williams to the mound and the Nationals will face 27-year-old RHP Mitch Keller.  [Be sure to subscribe to get our Game Notes right to your inbox at least two hours before the first pitch filled with stats, pitchers’ profiles, and so much more.]

News from the Farm

Stay with us all season long for the latest news from the Nationals farm system. It will be a busy season filled with callups, analysis, and so much more, and once again, the Nats Report will have you covered! We will have dedicated reports covering each team this season, provide you with Game Notes for each team’s games, weekly recaps, and so much more.

You won't want to miss out on all the action. If you're into what’s happening with the Nationals Farm System, the Nats Report will be the place for you!

Here is what’s happening around the farm:

Triple A: The Rochester Red Wings

The Rochester Red Wings Home Opener is still on as scheduled as of this morning. However, that could change as we get closer to the first pitch. According to the Weather Channel, there is a 91% chance of precipitation, so the game might not occur. If the game happens, the Red Wings will host the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (1-2) with the first pitch at 4:05 p.m. LHP DJ Herz will get the start for the Red Wings (2-1). Last year, Herz went 3-3 with an ERA of 3.43 over 22 game appearances and 94.1 innings pitched. He struck out a total of 133 batters. The Iron Pigs have yet to announce their starting pitcher.

Double A: Harrisburg Senators

The Harrisburg Senators' season will start on Friday, April 5th, against the Erie SeaWolves in Harrisburg. The first pitch is at 7:00 p.m.

High A: Wilmington Blue Rocks

The Wilmington Blue Rocks will kick off their season on Friday, April 5th, in Wilmington against the Brooklyn Cyclones. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Single A: Fredericksburg Nationals

The Fredericksburg Nationals will kick off their season on Friday, April 5th, against the Delmarva Shorebirds in Fredericksburg. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Featured Stories of the Day

• 2024 MLB hot seat: 11 managers whose job could be on the line, including Aaron Boone and Dave Roberts via CBS Sports
• Remembering the Past via Talk Nats

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