BALTIMORE | Fans of the Washington Redskins don’t like the Baltimore Ravens and vice versa.
And those that follow the Baltimore Orioles, for the most part, are not going to root for the Washington Nationals.
But white-collar Washington and blue-collar Baltimore have found a team that can both cheer for: the Washington Capitals.
It’s no secret that several of the Nationals are rooting for Alex Ovechkin and company in their Stanley Cup showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights. Skipper Dave Martinez has worn his Capitals cap for weeks, and Martinez and several Nationals, including pitcher Sammy Solis, attended a Capitals game earlier in the playoffs.
“It is fun to see the city rally around [the Capitals]. We want the same thing” with the Nationals, Solis told The Washington Times.
But the Nationals aren’t the only baseball team that’s adopted the Capitals. The Baltimore Orioles, the Interstate 95 rival the Nationals faced in a three-game series that wrapped Wednesday, has a case of “Caps-mania,” too.
First baseman Chris Davis and outfielder Trey Mancini wore Capitals jerseys in batting practice Wednesday at Camden Yards, and manager Buck Showalter wore one before the first game of the series.
Davis and Orioles pitcher Michael Wright filmed quick segments with NBC Sports Washington in the clubhouse Wednesday.
“Go Caps. Good luck tonight,” Wright said into the camera.
One person not on board is Nationals slugger Bryce Harper, who is rooting for his hometown Golden Knights.
Trying to change his mind is Tucker McDonough, 14, a student at Severna Park Middle School in Maryland. He held a sign behind the Nationals third-base dugout before Tuesday’s game that read: “HEY BRYCE, LAST CHANCE TO BECOME A CAPS FAN.”
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