Nationals grounds crew member nearly falls victim to tarp monster during weather delay
One member of the Washington Nationals grounds crew was not as fast as he needed to be during Saturday's rain delay at Nationals Park.
Rain began to fall in the first inning of a scoreless game between the Nationals and New York Mets.
The game started later than scheduled due to inclement weather, but conditions forced the game to stop shortly after it got underway.
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But shortly after the onsite crew was instructed to bring out the tarp, one person narrowly avoided what could have been a serious injury.
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That grounds crew member appeared to lose his balance, and his momentum carried him forward and over the tarp as it was being rolled on the infield dirt. Fellow crew members momentarily continued rolling out the tarp, which resulted in the waterproof cover getting rolled on the man's back.
The rain delay lasted for less than an hour. Once action resumed, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the second inning to give New York a 2-0 lead. The Mets maintained that lead as of the eighth inning.
The game also marked former Washington star Juan Soto's first series at Nationals Park as a member of the Mets.
Soto spent the first 4½ seasons of his MLB career with the Nationals. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in August 2022. Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs during his lone season with the New York Yankees in 2024.
He switched New York City boroughs in the offseason, trading in pinstripes for the Mets blue and orange. When Soto agreed to join the Mets, he signed the most lucrative contract in North American sports history. The 15-year deal was reported to be worth a record-breaking $765 million.
The Nationals entered Saturday's contest in fourth place in the NL East, while the Mets sat in first place in the division.
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