Randy Johnson’s pursuit of career win No. 300 will have to wait for another day.
The Giants left-hander was due to start tonight against the Nationals in his first attempt at joining the most exclusive pitching club in baseball, but several lines of vicious thunderstorms forced the game to be postponed.
SEE RELATED:
The two teams will now play a doubleheader tomorrow, with the makeup game to begin at 4:35 p.m. in advance of the originally scheduled series finale, which will immediately follow. No day-night doubleheader.
Johnson will start the opener against Jordan Zimmermann. Matt Cain faces Ross Detwiler in the nightcap. Fans who held tickets to tonight’s game can redeem them for seats to any comparably priced seat at a future game (excluding the June 23-25 series against the Red Sox).
A larger-than-normal crowd — not to mention a sizeable media contingent — had gathered at Nationals Park to witness Johnson attempt to become only the 24th pitcher in baseball history to win 300 games. But the Big Unit never emerged from the visiting clubhouse to begin pregame warm-ups.
Afternoon showers canceled batting practice, and the tarp remained on the infield as a strong line of storms hit the area shortly before the scheduled 7:05 p.m. first pitch., flooding much of shallow right field. The grounds crew pulled the tarp around 8 p.m. and drained the outfield, only to have to re-cover the infield as another line of storms approached.
Nationals president Stan Kasten told reporters around 9:30 p.m. that “we’re going to get this game in tonight.” But with the field taking on more water, Kasten joined acting general manager Mike Rizzo and all four umpires behind home plate and conferred before deciding to postpone the game.
