The Washington Nationals used their bark at the park promotion to call up Bruce the Bat Dog from Triple-A Rochester.

The Washington Nationals fell to an agonizing 4-3 defeat in their game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday. But it was not all doom and gloom for the Nationals and their fans as the team’s “top paw-spect” made his long-awaited MLB debut.

The dog days of summer arrived Saturday at Nationals Park. Bruce, a 21-month-old golden retriever, fetched a bat during a ceremony before the Washington Nationals-Miami Marlins game.