Washington lefty starter Gio Gonzalez, after striking out Trevor Story, took a stroll behind the mound in the top of the first inning Thursday night at Nationals Park.
The veteran pitcher wasn’t just psyched after fanning the Rockies shortstop.
Instead, Gonzalez knew the next Colorado hitter was Ian Desmond, the former Washington shortstop who was with the Nationals from 2009 to 2015.
“I wanted him to enjoy it,” Gonzalez said of his former teammate. “He’s just a great guy.”
The fans gave Desmond a nice reception before he hit a blooper to short right field that second baseman Howie Kendrick missed for an error as a run scored.