WASHINGTON — A Father’s Day weekend spent watching his son pitch is nothing new for Noel Clarke, the father of Diamondbacks right-hander Taylor Clarke.
But Saturday was not like the others. Noel had never watched his son pitch in a big-league game at Nationals Park, which is less than 40 miles from the Clarkes’ hometown of Ashburn, Va.
By Noel’s estimate, around 250 family, friends and supporters from Ashburn were in attendance to see Clarke pitch in a game the Diamondbacks won 10-3 over the Nationals on Saturday. Among them were Noel and his wife and Taylor’s mother, Pat, as well as Taylor’s wife, who is also named Taylor, and their twin sons, Bryce and Brody.