Washington Nationals' ‘top paw-spect' makes MLB debut… Bruce the Bat Dog
The Washington Nationals fell to an agonizing 4-3 defeat in their game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday.
But it was not all doom and gloom for the Nationals and their fans as the team's 'top paw-spect' made his long-awaited MLB debut.
Bruce the Bat Dog was called up after impressing senior figures in the organization following his time with the Rochester Red Wings – the Triple-A affiliate of the Nationals.
The su-paw-star Bruce is a one year and nine-month-old golden retriever who has had Washington fans' tails wagging in recent days.
'Our fans and front office are always excited to see our players get promoted to the Nationals, but Bruce's promotion is a historic call-up to the big leagues that he richly deserves,' Dan Mason, GM of the Red Wings, said in a press release issued on Tuesday.
'Nobody makes people smile more than Bruce, and I'm sure he'll do a WOOFtastic job for the Nats! He has proven himself to be ready for the show in a very short time and has earned the phenom status that has been bestowed upon him. He'll put on a doggone great show for Nats fans on June 14.'
According to the Nationals, Bruce leads the organization in 'head pats, belly rubs and 'good boys' since making his first professional appearance'.
While Bruce impressed on his Major League debut with his expert bat retrieval skills, the Nationals couldn't get the job done against the Marlins.
Washington went into the last inning 4-1 down but rallied to make it 4-3. The Nationals then had a chance to steal the win with bases loaded and two outs.
Marlins pitcher Calvin Faucher stepped onto the mound for the make-or-break pitch and faced off against Nationals outfielder James Wood.
Wood popped the ball up and with three Marlins fielders circling the ball, Otto Lopez managed to hold on to the catch following a collision with teammate Kyle Stowers.
Bruce the Bat Dog will now have to wait that bit longer for his first win for the Nationals when the team plays on Sunday afternoon.
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