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 six different Opening Day starting pitchers in their sixteen seasons. The six starters have a combined Opening Day record of 3 win, 9 losses and 4 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 7–9.
Max Scherzer holds the franchise record for most Opening Day starts with five. He is 1–3 on Opening Day, with one no decision.
Liván Hernández is the only pitcher to make an Opening Day start for both the Expos and the Nationals.
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 9–2 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 3–2 over the visiting Atlanta Braves.Antonen, Mel. "Nationals open new field with 3-2 win", USA Today, March 31, 2008. Accessed October 8, 2008.
Key SeasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular Nationals season.WWinLLossND (W)No decision for starter; Nationals won gameND (L)No decision for starter; Nationals lost gameFinalScoreGame score with Nationals runs listed firstLocationStadium in bold for home gamePitcher (#)Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Nationals
Pitchers
SeasonPitcherDecisionFinalscoreOpponentLocationAttendanceRef(s)Washington Nationals Opening Day Starters and Results, Baseball-Reference. Accessed October 7, 2008.2005 L Philadelphia Phillies Citizens Bank Park 44,080 Apr 4, 2005, Nationals at Phillies Play by Play and Box Score, Baseball-Reference. Accessed October 7, 2008.2006 L New York Mets Shea Stadium 54,371 Apr 3, 2006, Nationals at Mets Box Score and Play by Play, Baseball-Reference. Accessed October 7, 2008.2007 L Florida Marlins Robert F. Kennedy Stadium 40,389 Apr 2, 2007, Marlins at Nationals Play by Play and Box Score, Baseball-Reference. Accessed October 7, 2008.Ladson, Bill. "Patterson struggles as Nationals fall", MLB.com, April 2, 2007. Accessed October 8, 2008.2008 ND (W) Atlanta Braves Nationals Park 39,389 Mar 30, 2008, Braves at Nationals Box Score and Play by Play, Baseball-Reference. Accessed October 7, 2008.2009 L Florida Marlins Dolphin Stadium 34,323 2010 (2)L Philadelphia Phillies Nationals Park 41,290 2011 (3) L Atlanta Braves Nationals Park 39,055 2012 ND (W) Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 41,176 2013 (2) W Miami Marlins Nationals Park 45,274 2014 (3) ND (W) New York Mets Citi Field 42,442 2015 L New York Mets Nationals Park 42,295 2016 ND (W) Atlanta Braves Turner Field 48,282 2017 (4) W Miami Marlins Nationals Park 42,744 2018 W Cincinnati Reds Great American Ball Park 43,878 2019 L New York Mets Nationals Park 42,263 2020 L New York Yankees Nationals Park 0 2021 ND (W) Atlanta Braves Nationals Park4,8012022 L New York Mets Nationals Park35,0522023 L Atlanta Braves Nationals Park35,756 2024 L Cincinnati Reds Great American Ball Park44,030 2025 ND (L) Philadelphia Phillies Nationals Park41,231 2026 ND (W) Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 39,712
References