“Embarrassing”; “The Nats don't have a vet leader in the clubhouse” - Nationals fans annoyed as Mackenzie Gore and Nick Senzel scuffle in the dugout

There was conflict among the Washington Nationals players on Friday night at Nationals Park. However, it didn't affect their performance, leading to their stellar 8-1 win against the Miami Marlins.

During the game, the Miami Marlins started their 1-0 lead in the second inning, scoring a run due to a late throw by third baseman Nick Senzel. Shortly after pitcher MacKenzie Gore, who had just struck out a batter to end the inning, approached Senzel in the dugout.

Both players had a heated confrontation argument and Senzel shoved Gore before they were separated. Right fielder Lane Thomas got between them and told Gore to walk away. Then, left fielder Jesse Winker guided Gore to the steps leading into the clubhouse.

Here is a clip of the moment shared on X/Twitter by Talkin’ Baseball:

Many fans reacted to the heated moment by sharing their reactions in the comments.

“Embarrassing,” a fan said.

“What a wild day in baseball this has been,” another fan said.

“What are they even upset about lmao,” another fan wrote.

Several other fans supported Gore and justified his anger over Senzel’s mistake.

“This just tells me the Nats don't have a vet leader in the clubhouse. This is the type of stuff that needs to be addressed in the locker room, but Gore is 100% in the right here. That throw by Senzel was PATHETIC,” a comment reads.

“Senzel gave up a ran on a ball that should have been a easy out I would be mad too,” another comment reads.

“I stand with Gore,” someone wrote.

The Washington Nationals countered the Miami Marlins lead by scoring seven runs in the third inning alone. After losing their series with the Detroit Tigers, the Nationals opened their three-game series with the Marlins with a definitive victory.

MacKenzie Gore had a solid performance supported by a strong showing from the Nationals' offense

Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore pitched for seven innings, allowing only one run, one walk, and five hits while striking out ten. He threw 103 pitches with 71 of them being strikes.

The Nationals offense recorded 13 hits on 36 at-bats, bringing in eight RBI with two walks and four strikes. In the third inning, Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer, followed by Joey Meneses’s two-run single.

After CJ Abrams’s two-run single the game was 7-1. Jesse Winker’s singles in the sixth innings set the final score of the game. The Nationals will again face the Marlins on Saturday in the second game of their three game series.