John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Daniel Murphy was both the biggest hero and biggest nemesis of Nationals fans Sunday.
With the home team down 1-0 to Pittsburgh, with two outs in the ninth inning, Murphy stepped to the plate for the first time since the All-Star game and belted a solo-shot home run into the right field stands to send the game into extra innings.
At the time, Murphy was met with a standing ovation and the adulation of his adoring fans.
Most of those fans were gone three hours later, when the game actually ended.
In an exercise of patience and futility, the Nationals and Pirates spent another eight innings trading goose eggs on the scoreboard, emptying their bullpens and benches of players before the Pirates’ Starling Marte blasted a homerun off of reliever Oliver Perez in the top of the 18th inning to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead – one that withstood the Nationals’ feeble offense in the bottom of the frame.
Nationals Manager Dusty Baker says he never intended for Marte to get the chance to hit – he wanted to intentionally walk him with weak-hitting pitcher Jonathan Niese on deck for Pittsburgh. .
“That was my fault because I didn’t put the (four) fingers up in time soon enough to walk him,” Baker said. “Before I could, he hit the first pitch out of the ballpark.”
By all rights, the game probably should have ended in the 16th inning, when the Pirates’ Josh Harrison blasted a double off the wall in center field, but a picture-perfect relay from Michael A. Taylor to shortstop Danny Espinosa to catcher Wilson Ramos was quick enough to get Eric Fryer at the plate.
“How about the relay they had in the 16th inning?” Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle said in amazement. “It’s the best relay in the history of the game in the 16th inning. Ever.”
By the time the 1:35 start ended at 7:23 pm, Washington had endured the longest game in Nats’ history – one that saw 17 pitchers combine for 540 pitches.
The marathon actually began with a great pitchers’ duel between former Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer and Pirates’ rookie Chad Kuhl, who actually got the better of his more celebrated opponent. Kuhl allowed just one hit and two runners in six innings of shutout ball to begin the game, and Scherzer was almost as good. He gave up one run on six hits and struck out seven in seven innings of work,.
Murphy’s homer erased what would have been a tough loss for Scherzer, but it kept both teams on the field for what amounted to another complete ball game.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: Associated Press)
