PHILADELPHIA — In a bizarre scene, stadium workers using tractors scrambled to hoist the protective netting behind home plate after it suddenly collapsed Sunday, interrupting the Philadelphia Phillies’ 12-6 win over the Washington Nationals.
Several innings after Washington pitcher Austin Voth suffered a broken nose when he was hit trying to bunt and plate umpire Brian O’Nora was forced to leave after being struck in the mask by a foul tip, a most unusual situation developed.
Trea Turner was batting with two outs and nobody on in the eighth inning when the netting behind home plate and over the third base dugout at Citizens Bank Park sagged towards the field without warning.
No one appeared to be hurt in the mishap.
Both teams stood on the dirt around their dugouts as the members of the Phillies grounds crew played a game of tug of war with the wiring, which is connected by guide wires to the facade of the second level.
Tractors were used in the infield to help pull the wiring up before it was eventually connected to allow the game to resume after a 20-minute delay.
Voth, who started in the game in place of Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg in a bullpen game, was injured in the third when he was hit by a pitch from Vince Velasquez while squaring around to bunt.
Voth exited with a towel covering a gash across his inside of his nose after the ball appeared to deflect off the bill of his batting helmet. He was to spend the night in a Philadelphia hospital getting his nose reset.
Velasquez suffered from command issues, allowing three runs on three hit batters, four hits and two walks in four innings.
O’Nora was hit in the mask in the top of the first by a foul off the bat of Josh Bell. O’Nora was examined by Philadelphia’s trainers and stayed in the game, but called time and rushed down the ramp in the Phillies dugout after a few pitches to Odubel Herrera to lead off the bottom of the first.
O’Nora was replaced behind the plate by crew chief Fieldin Culbreth, resulting in a nine-minute delay.
J.T. Realmuto, Herrera and Andrew McCutchen each had two hits and played a key role in a seven-run fourth yhat was aided by four walks and a dropped pop-up by second baseman Jordy Mercer that made it 7-3.
Realmuto hit his 100th career homer, a three-run drive off Tanner Rainey. Brad Miller also homered for Philadelphia.
Victor Robles hit two doubles and scored three times for Washington.
Sam Coonrod (1-2) got the win. Kyle Finnegan (2-1) took the loss.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: C Yan Gomes was out of the Washington lineup for the fourth straight game because of hamstring tightness. Nationals manager Davey Martinez said that he believes Gomes could be back for Washington on Tuesday in Tampa Bay. …Eric Fedde threw five innings on Saturday night in a rehab appearance for Washington’s Class A affiliate in Wilmington. He is expected to make a start next week for the Nationals in place of Strasburg, who has gone on the injured list with a neck strain suffered earlier this week in Atlanta.
UP NEXT
Nationals: Begin a two-game set at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.