Michelle Obama taking in a ceremonial first pitch at Nationals Park in 2011. Photograph by Flickr user jsmjr.
On a sunny Thursday afternoon it would be logical to expect an easy, by-the-numbers
baseball game, but there was nothing routine about today’s final of a four-game series
with the Pittsburg Pirates. First Lady Michelle Obama was among the spectators in the stands, reported the Washington Post—her second visit to a Nats game
in two years. What she saw was some wild baseball action and then a ninth-inning tie.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson was kicked out of the game in the six inning by umpire Mike Winters after a dispute with a call against Ian Desmond. Only an inning later, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was tossed by another umpire, Laz Diaz.
The Nats were actually winning for much of the game, but Pittsburgh, with bases loaded,
tied it up in the ninth. Bryce Harper then finished things with a walk-off to left center field, and the Nats won 9-7, ending
a six-game losing streak. We’ll assume the First Lady cheered as loudly as anyone
at Nats Park.
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Michelle Obama Takes In Wild and Winning Washington Nationals Game
Both team managers were tossed from the game in different innings.
On a sunny Thursday afternoon it would be logical to expect an easy, by-the-numbers
baseball game, but there was nothing routine about today’s final of a four-game series
with the Pittsburg Pirates. First Lady
Michelle Obama was among the spectators in the stands, reported the Washington Post—her second visit to a Nats game
in two years. What she saw was some wild baseball action and then a ninth-inning tie.
Nationals manager
Davey Johnson was kicked out of the game in the six inning by umpire
Mike Winters after a dispute with a call against
Ian Desmond. Only an inning later, Pirates manager
Clint Hurdle was tossed by another umpire,
Laz Diaz.
The Nats were actually winning for much of the game, but Pittsburgh, with bases loaded,
tied it up in the ninth.
Bryce Harper then finished things with a walk-off to left center field, and the Nats won 9-7, ending
a six-game losing streak. We’ll assume the First Lady cheered as loudly as anyone
at Nats Park.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
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