“In some ways, this is very much a dress rehearsal for the new world we’re in.' Exhibition games in Washington, New York and Pittsburgh on Saturday gave Major League Baseball its first look at coronavirus-era games — fake crowd noise and all.
Still, for clubs limited to practices and intrasquads in their own ballparks for the past two weeks, Saturday stood as an important mile marker as baseball tries to start a shortened 60-game season next Thursday amid a pandemic.
Umpires wore face masks, as did some players. Backups watched from the stands to maintain social distancing in dugouts. They all tried to follow safety protocols, including a ban on licking fingers or spitting. Scherzer is expected to throw the first pitch of the regular season when the Nats host new ace Gerrit Cole and the Yankees on Thursday night. The right-hander struggled in his final tuneup, also allowing a three-run shot to former teammate Bryce Harper.
The pregame routine looked familiar enough — soaring batting practice homers from Giancarlo Stanton and Pete Alonso, ground ball work for Gleyber Torres and Robinson Cano. Reserve players watched from under large awnings build behind both dugouts. Mets backups gave a standing ovation to scheduled starter Rick Porcello as he returned from the bullpen, then started a chant of “Let’s go, Mets!”loaded into three buses Saturday for the 2-hour-plus drive to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates. Manager Terry Francona said the team adhered to social-distance guidelines — and staggered arrival times — for the team’s first trip since camp re-opened.
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