Democrats and Republicans in Congress on Thursday took part in a summer tradition that dates back more than 100 years: the Congressional baseball game, a charity event that trades party politics for hits and runs.

What You Need To Know

  • Republicans routed the Democrats 31-11 in Wednesday night's Congressional baseball game

  • Eight people who protested during the game were arrested and face federal charges of interference with a member of the Capitol Police

  • The charity game raises money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the Washington Literacy Center and the Nationals Philanthropies, the charitable arm of the MLB's Washington Nationals

  • The tradition dates back to 1909

This year's event at Nationals Park, home of the MLB's Washington Nationals, saw multiple climate protesters arrested after being tackled on the field by police. It also saw the Republican team rout the Democratic team in a 31-11 blowout win, continuing their four-year winning streak.

The GOP's blowout victory was solidified in the fourth inning, when they scored a deluge of runs off of Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. His fellow Californian, Sen. Alex Padilla, came in to stem the tide, only to allow a "Red Wave" of runs in the fifth.

The game was briefly interrupted by protesters who stormed the field during the game. Eight people were arrested and face federal charges of interference with a member of the Capitol Police. Pro-Palestinian protesters also demonstrated during the game before being removed from the stadium.

Though the game could have been ended with a mercy rule call, Democrats and Republicans playing in Wednesday’s game agreed that more events like this are needed at such a divisive time.

“This is a great moment where we bring together the staffs from both sides of the aisle, members from both sides of the aisle,” said Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas. “We've been talking to each other about it on the House floor. It gives us a little bit of a reprieve before we go back to do the people's work tomorrow.” 

The bats were hot for Republicans from the jump, with lead-off batter Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., hitting a single to get things going. 

Former Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who returned to help coach this year, called Scalise the “spiritual leader and heart and soul of this team.” Scalise and Capitol Police officer Crystal Griner were shot by a gunman when Republicans were practicing in Alexandria, Va., in 2017. He's also been battling multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.

“It's not just tonight," Brady said. "It's every practice. He shows up at 6 o’clock, ready to play out there through thick and thin. He's just an inspiration to us. And he’s just — he's battled through the shooting, through the cancer, never let it get him down.” 

“I think about it every day,” said Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, a doctor by trade who helped save Scalise’s life. “It created quite a bond. He still has so much courage.”

The charity game raises money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the Washington Literacy Center and the Nationals Philanthropies, the charitable arm of the Washington Nationals. The game drew quite a sizable crowd, bringing in 30,000 fans to Wednesday’s exhibition — outpacing the Nationals' roughly 25,500 average attendance.

“Who's blessed with the opportunity to come to a major league stadium and not be a major league player and play a baseball game?” said Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla. “I mean, it's just a blessing to be out here. And the fact that we're raising over $2 million for local charities is just a great thing.”

“I think with the lack of bipartisanship and the more they try to divide us, this is a really good event where we can get together, have a little fun, raise money for charity,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. 

“It's a lot of camaraderie. You know, when you get here, you're not on every committee, so you don't necessarily meet all of your cohorts. And so between our practices and the game, it's a lot of chances for, you know, us to get together,” said Wenstrup.