It was a day that began with so much potential for Washington, D.C., sports fans. It ended with a sad trombone.
Here is a blow-by-blow recap.
Nationals:
It was the Nationals' home opener after a dominant start on the road. The Nats made further noise by announcing a much-anticipated extension for general manager Mike Rizzo.
"We felt that Opening Day here at home would be a good day to announce it since we got it done last night," Rizzo told The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan. "The trust factor that we've built, the Lerners and I over the years, has been great. They have my respect, I have theirs, and there's a bond between us that I thought was stronger than anything else."
Front office harmony is such an underrated concept in Washington.
After the pomp and circumstance of Home Opener introductions to a sold out crowd, the Nats jumped out to a 1-0 lead. Ace Stephen Strasburg surrendered the lead on a balk in the second inning.
The Nats pulled ahead in the third, but it was fleeting. The Mets went deep with Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto. The Nats had Jacob deGrom on the ropes in the sixth inning, but failed to do anything with the bases loaded and no outs.
Trea Turner was ejected for striking out looking on a borderline pitch to end the inning. It was his first career ejection and indicative of how the Nats day went.
Adam Eaton, injured while sliding recklessly into home, was lifted from the game as a precautionary measure. His prognosis was good, but should serve as a reminder that he is coming off of traumatic injuries.
At the end of the day, the Nats fell 8-2 and are in third place in the NL East.
Capitals:
Five days ago, the Caps beat the Penguins in Pittsburgh to capture the Metro Division title. On Thursday, it was the Caps' chance to play victim.
Defending home ice, the Caps watched the Nashville Predators capture the Presidents' Trophy, clinch the Central Division and the Western Conference with a 4-3 win.
Alex Ovechkin was a bright spot in the game, ripping a power play goal through traffic to put the Caps on the board in the first period.
The Caps took leads in both the second and third periods, but could not close out the surging Preds.
At evening's end, the Caps fell 4-3 in what Caps would love to believe is a look at the Stanley Cup Finals.
Wizards:
Last week, the Wizards were in a position to potentially make a run at the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and play the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
Now, they sit in seventh and might be playing the Boston Celtics in the first round.
The Wizards' split personality has been a factor all season and it showed in both directions on Thursday night. At best, they led the Cavs by 14 with less than eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
ALSO READ: Scot McCloughan Cheers on Cavs vs. Wizards
They blew that lead, giving up 32 points, as LeBron James scored or assisted in nearly every scoring play.
Looking ahead, the best news for Wizards fans is that John Wall was back in midseason form, scoring a double-double (28 points, 14 assists). Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the Wizards' defense collapsed when it mattered most.
Wizards lose in regulation, 115-119.
The silver lining in all of this is that the Redskins are in one of the quietest phases of the offseason and could not do anything to contribute to the misery felt by the other three major teams.
Regardless, three losses in three opportunities, including two grudge matches, is a brutal Thursday afternoon and evening.
Follow Brian Tinsman and 106.7 The Fan on Twitter.
