The Washington Nationals are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Washington, D.C.. They play in the National League East division. The team was known as the Montreal Expos from 1969 to 2004. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Nationals have used five different Opening Day starting pitchers in their nine seasons. The five starters have a combined Opening Day record of 1 win, 6 losses and 3 no decisions. No decisions are awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game, or if the starting pitcher does not pitch at least five innings with the lead. The overall Opening Day record of the team is 4â€"6.
Liván Hernández and Stephen Strasburg share the team record for most Opening Day starts with three. Hernández has a record of 0â€"3. He also pitched one Opening Day start for the Montreal Expos, in which he received a no-decision. Hernández is the only pitcher to make an Opening Day start for both the Expos and the Nationals. Strasburg has a record of 1â€"0 with two no decisions.
As the Washington Nationals, the team played their home games at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium from 2005 to 2007; their only home opener there was a 9â€"2 loss in 2007 by starter John Patterson. Nationals Park is the team's current field, and it was the site of the team's 2008 season opener, with starting pitcher Odalis Pérez on the mound in a game that the Nationals won 3â€"2 over the visiting Atlanta Braves.
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Play Ball: Washington Nationals Opening Day - Spring is here and that means baseball season is too. As the Washington Nationals get ready for a promising season, Nats fans in Montgomery County shared their excitement on opening day, the...
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