INTERVIEW – SCOTT ALLEN – Sports reporter, Washington Post – previewed the Washington Nationals’ 2019 season ahead of Opening Day.

• Nats come back in a new season post-Harper, what do we have to look forward to?
• So, uh, how much will all that fancy new food at Nats Park cost? (Washington Post/By Scott Allen) — The Nationals welcomed media members last week to sample many of the new concessions available at Nationals Park this season, and while the prices of the food items on display weren’t advertised, it was easy to surmise that they wouldn’t come cheap. Fans craving a steak sandwich, lobster roll or chilled peanut salad while taking in a Nationals game in the coming months are in luck, as those nontraditional ballpark items can now all be had, but they’ll cost $18, $17 and $12, respectively. Following the lead of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, who boasted the lowest-priced concession items of any major pro sports team when they opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017, several other teams have introduced more family-friendly food options in recent years. Last season, the Orioles began offering small, medium and large sizes for soda, beer, french fries and popcorn, and special kids size hot dogs for $1.50. The Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins are among the other baseball teams to lower prices for items, including hot dogs ($4), popcorn ($3) and beer ($5), at select concession stands this year. While the Nationals continue to offer plenty of traditional ballpark fare in the $5 to $10 range, the team has no immediate plans to introduce discounted concessions.
• Your Guide to the Washington Nationals’ Opening Day. (NBC Washington) — Baseball’s back! The Washington Nationals are gearing up for Opening Day on Thursday, and we’ve got everything you need to know to take yourself out to the ballgame. The Nats will face off against the New York Mets; first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Read on for a heads-up on weather, the newest food and drinks, a new backpack policy and more. Will you need to lug an umbrella with you? Good news: You’ll have a perfect spring afternoon for Opening Day. Anticipate temps in the low 60s with all sunshine, Storm Team4 Meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts said. Make sure to grab your sunscreen.  When should you get there? The Center Field Gate will open two hours before the game, granting access to the Center Field stands and the Center Field concourse area. On Thursdays, Fridays and weekends, so does the Budweiser Terrace area. That means you can enter as early as 11:05 a.m. on Opening Day. All other gates will open an hour and a half hour before first pitch. Who’s the starting pitcher? Max Scherzer will be starting off the day for the Nats, the team says. “Scherzer earns his fourth Opening Day assignment in five seasons in D.C. to face the Mets’ Jacob deGrom, a meeting between the top two finishers in voting for last year’s NL Cy Young Award,” the Nats say.