NEW YORK (AP) — Didi Gregorius watched above the prime of his face mask as his travel off Washington ace Max Scherzer sailed into vacant outfield seats.

Faux cheers — intended to encourage the hometown Nationals — unintentionally piped by way of the stadium as the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop rounded the bases. Just after touching home plate, he pantomimed air-fives to teammates.

“This is 2020 baseball,” Scherzer claimed. “Embrace it and have exciting with it.”

Exhibition games in Washington, New York and Pittsburgh on Saturday gave Important League Baseball its initial glance at coronavirus-period online games — cardboard cutouts for lovers, sound outcomes for crowds and much more. Even now, for golf equipment constrained to practices and intrasquads in their have ballparks for the earlier two weeks, Saturday stood as an critical mile marker as the activity tries to start out a shortened 60-sport period upcoming Thursday amid a pandemic.

“In some approaches, this is incredibly significantly a costume rehearsal for the new earth we’re in,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone claimed ahead of an exhibition at the crosstown Mets.

No enthusiasts rushed off the 7 educate in Flushing at Citi Subject, and no masses hurried around the Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh — not with MLB scheduling to start off this pandemic-shaken period at vacant stadiums. At Nationals Park, several individuals watched from a setting up balcony considerably past the left field wall.

Umpires wore encounter masks, as did some gamers. Backups viewed from the stands to sustain social distancing in dugouts. They all experimented with to adhere to safety protocols, together with a ban on licking fingers or spitting.

Yet another new glance — the Mets became the to start with club to offer advertisement place on the subject alone, spray painting a Ford logo on the back again of the pitcher’s mound.

Gregorius drilled a three-run homer in the first inning in Washington, the very first big fly by a participant in any of Saturday’s game titles.

The 30-12 months-previous Phillies newcomer is 1 of a handful of players who has stated he’ll dress in a mask entire-time this period. Gregorius has a serious kidney dysfunction that makes him higher threat for the coronavirus.

Scherzer is expected to throw the 1st pitch of the regular season when the Nats host new ace Gerrit Cole and the Yankees on Thursday night. The appropriate-hander struggled in his final tuneup, also enabling a three-run shot to previous teammate Bryce Harper.

Booed heartily previous year following spurning Washington in cost-free company, Harper heard no these jeers this time.

For their initially exhibition sport given that the virus outbreak shut down spring education in mid-March, Yankees players took a workforce bus from the Bronx to Queens to fulfill the Mets — no subways for this series.

The pregame routine appeared familiar plenty of — soaring batting practice homers from Giancarlo Stanton and Pete Alonso, floor ball operate for Gleyber Torres and Robinson Canó.

Indications of the times were being undoubtedly there. Some coaches hit fungoes in facial area masks, and the typical large fives and hugs concerning opponents about the batting cage have been replaced by elbow taps and distanced chats — including one particular amongst Yankees standard manager Brian Cashman and Mets counterpart Brodie Van Wagenen.

With no supporters submitting in for first pitch, almost 1,000 cardboard likenesses of Mets supporters ended up set up behind household plate. The workforce designs to have 5,000 in place by opening working day.

Reserve players watched from under large awnings create guiding both dugouts. Mets backups gave a standing ovation to scheduled starter Rick Porcello as he returned from the bullpen, then started a chant of “Let’s go, Mets!”

The 1st homer in Flushing also came from a masked player — Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier. The 25-calendar year-aged, who states he’s taken heat on social media for his conclusion to dress in a confront masking at all periods, drove a two-run homer into the next deck in the fourth inning.

The Cleveland Indians loaded into a few buses Saturday for the 2-hour-moreover generate to Pittsburgh. Supervisor Terry Francona claimed the group adhered to social-distance rules — and staggered arrival moments — for the team’s to start with vacation since camp re-opened.

“I think it is a superior working experience for all of us,” he explained. “We’re not used to having on a bus and get your temperature taken and factors like that, so it is fantastic to go via that.”

Cleveland built a public exhibit of assist for social justice just before its 5-3 gain, standing with their right hands over their hearts and their left fingers on the suitable shoulder of their teammates during the nationwide anthem.

A couple lovers gathered outside PNC Park, hoping to catch some sort of recreation action.

Michael Kirkpatrick, 73, and his son, Zac, stood on the Clemente Bridge beyond centre field — the identical location they crammed shoulder to shoulder for the duration of the NL wild-card recreation in 2013. No problems discovering a place this time.

“I just need to have to hear a bat hit a ball,” Zac said.

In Washington, a instant of silence was held for late civil rights trailblazer John Lewis. Gamers stood socially distanced for the nationwide anthem — an acoustic rendition by the U.S. Military Brass Quintet performed prior to Game 4 of very last year’s Planet Series and replayed on the movie scoreboard.

“Definitely has a distinct experience to it,” Nationals center fielder Michael A. Taylor reported.

Postgame handshake strains got a shakeup, much too. The Yankees air-fived every other outdoors the dugout after finishing a 9-3 gain, and Cleveland celebrated its victory by tapping toes with teammates.

NO CANADA

The Blue Jays were being denied acceptance by the Canadian govt to perform in Toronto thanks to the cross-border vacation required.

As for exactly where it could enjoy property games, the crew has been hunting at its spring schooling internet site in Dunedin, Florida, 1 of the states hardest-hit by the virus, and its Triple-A web page in Buffalo.

The Blue Jays are scheduled to begin the time July 24 at Tampa Bay. Their residence opener was set for five days later on from Washington.

Again IN CAMP

A pair of All-Stars stay uncertain for opening day after missing the start off of summer time camp because of to good coronavirus tests — Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman and the Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu.

Freeman was at Truist Park on Friday about an hour right after acquiring his next detrimental examination for the coronavirus, earning him medical clearance to return. On Saturday, the four-time All-Star unveiled he experienced a large temperature of 104.5 levels early on and was fearful of getting rid of his existence.

“I said a very little prayer that night time,” Freeman said.

LeMahieu participated in his initial exercise Friday immediately after screening good at his property in Michigan final month. The a few-time Gold Glove winner reported it was “shocking” to get the final result because he experienced no indicators.

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AP Sports Writers Will Graves and Howard Fendrich and Connected Press Author Rob Gillies contributed to this report.

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Comply with Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner

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Additional AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sporting activities