WASHINGTON – There were two veteran relievers very familiar with the Navy Yard neighborhood sitting in the Arizona bullpen when Erick Fedde threw the first pitch here on Wednesday night at Nationals Park.
Mark Melancon and Oliver Pérez, two former Washington pitchers, are now with the D-backs.
A right-hander, Melancon was acquired by the Nationals from the Pirates in a trade on July 30, 2016, and he notched 17 saves in 30 outings with an ERA of 1.82 the rest of the year with Washington. He signed a two-year contract with Arizona in December and his 245 saves through Tuesday were the fourth-most among active pitchers.