Trea Turner on first game: "It was just fun to be out there"

Shortstop Trea Turner made his major league debut Friday in the Nationals' 10-3 loss to the Brewers. Turner went 0-for-2 with a couple of groundouts after arriving in the top of the seventh during a double switch.

Maybe not the debut the rookie would have wanted? On the contrary, said Turner.

"Every debut is good, I would like to say," Turner said. "Can't necessarily have a bad debut, no matter how you play, results whatever. It was just fun to be out there. I'm excited to go back out there tomorrow and then hopefully get a chance to play and keep doing it."

Turner described what it was like to step into the batter's box for that first time at Nationals Park.

"It was weird," Turner said. "I wasn't that nervous. I thought I was going to be a little more nervous. But at the same time, I felt like I was doing some uncharacteristic things. I felt like I couldn't control my body sometimes. I guess that's nerves. Just try to slow it down and be more comfortable tomorrow."

In Turner's first at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, he grounded out to shortstop on a close play at first. After a two-minute video review, the call was upheld.

"I've never had replay in any game I've ever played," Turner said. "So at first, when he called me out, I'm like, 'All right, I'm out.' And then everyone's yelling at me stay on the base. So it's a little bit different. Obviously, wish you could've had it. Take any hit you can get, but it went the other way and get after it tomorrow."

But even with the close out call at first, Nationals fans and manager Matt Williams got to witness for the first time Turner's speed.

"Yeah, good speed," Williams said. "It's not the ideal situation we wanted to get him in there in that type of situation. But he had a good work today early and got a chance to take a look at him, so there'll be more opportunity."

Turner arrived in the game on a double switch and not in a clutch pinch-hit situation or emotional first start. But he wasn't disappointed he didn't come into the game in a more dramatic moment.

"I expect it," Turner said. "You've got to be ready for anything. I didn't know if I was going to start, didn't know if I was going to come off the bench or whatever situation, but you got to be ready for anything. So I expected to play and I think that's the way you've got to approach every day."

Turner enjoyed every moment of his first game and admitted afterwards he could hear and feel the crowd's reaction to his play.

"It's hard for me not to pay attention to a lot of that," Turner said. "I can hear it. I see stuff out of the corner of my eyes all the time. It was awesome. It was very cool for me to experience that from the fans. The fans are awesome. They've been really, really good to me so far. It's been fun and like I hope I can go out there tomorrow and keep doing it."

Turns out that Turner was one of the few bright spots in a difficult series opener to a crucial homestand for the Nationals.

What were some of the things he will always remember from this first game in the bigs?

"The crowd for sure," Turner said. "Obviously, getting those ovations is very special. My teammates, they let me enjoy it. A lot of advice in the last couple hours (to) just soak it all in. That's kind of what I did when I ran out on the field, just look around and see where you are and don't miss anything and just try to get out there and enjoy every second. If you don't, you might miss it."