

The Nationals celebrate after their 6-1 win over some Midwest baseball team last Saturday in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Things are getting ugly in the U.S. Senate race in Missouri, where the campaign manager of Democratic challenger Jason Kander accused a high school volunteer for Republican incumbent Roy Blunt of being a Washington Nationals fan. Say it ain’t so.

The latest mudslinging happened Wednesday, three days after the Nationals completed a three-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis. After Blunt’s campaign tweeted a photo of a volunteer wearing a curly “W” cap, Kander campaign manager Abe Rakov replied that “a Washington Nationals hat is the perfect thing to wear to fit in” at Blunt headquarters. (The Kander campaign has attempted to portray Blunt as a Washington insider throughout one of this year’s most competitive Senate races.)

A Washington Nationals hat is the perfect thing to wear to fit in at @RoyBluntMO headquarters. #mosen https://t.co/BEVL8wFmUa — Abe Rakov (@aberakov) May 4, 2016

Several people were quick to point out that the volunteer wasn’t wearing a Nationals cap, but rather the orange curly “W” of the Webster Groves High baseball team.

@aberakov @RoyBluntMO that is a Webster Groves High school baseball cap. Maybe if you kept up with the community like Blunt. You would know — Matt Haug (@matthaug12) May 5, 2016

@aberakov the Nationals aren’t orange and black. Please take a closer look at the picture sir. — William Sprick (@sprick44) May 5, 2016

.@aberakov@RoyBluntMO@BluntBrigade Kander’s team is so out of touch. They don’t know where Webster Groves is. — Dallas Ernst (@DallasErnst) May 5, 2016

The volunteer, Jackson Berger, attempted to clear his name in a video posted on Thursday.

“My name is Jackson, I’m a senior catcher at Webster Groves High School, home of the Statesmen,” he said. “I came out to make phone calls yesterday to encourage others to support Roy Blunt. Little did I know the Kander campaign would accuse me of being a Nationals fan. This is why people hate politics. Go Cardinals!”

Blunt’s son, former Missouri governor Matt Blunt, later tweeted that it was disappointing that Berger was “disparaged as a Nationals fan.” (The disdain is strong from the “Best Fans in Baseball.” This is why people hate Cardinals fans.)

Disappointing that this fine young Missourian & @Cardinals fan @jackson_berger3 was disparaged as a Nationals fan. https://t.co/e5ORaLlM68 — Matt Blunt (@MattBlunt) May 5, 2016

In a statement to the Post-Dispatch, Rakov said he’ll wear a Webster Groves cap in the city’s Fourth of July parade to make up for the mistake.

Thanks to the Post-Dispatch for sharing.