The Washington Nationals have continued to look solid in Spring Training, as they sit at 6-5 in Grapefruit League play this season. Here is a recap of the team’s past three games.
NOTE: The Nationals’ previously scheduled home contest against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, March 3rd was cancelled due to rain.
Cardinals at Nationals, March 4th
One day after the cancelled contest, the Nationals hosted the St. Louis Cardinals where they won by the score of 1-0. The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning where Keibert Ruiz hit a sacrifice fly to center, allowing Lane Thomas to score.
Trevor Williams started the game on the mound and struck out three Cardinals batters, while Derek Lee was credited with the win, and Joe La Sorsa recorded his third save of Spring Training.
Nationals at Marlins, March 6th
Washington faced the Marlins for real this time and recorded multiple runs for a 9-3 victory. One notable moment in this game is 2023 No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews hitting a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, marking his first home run of Grapefruit League play. Crews finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs.
Besides Crews, two other Nationals homered as Luis Garcia Jr. and Victor Robles each launched bombs in the top of the third. The next four Washington runs came when Ruiz hit an RBI double, Juan Yepez scored and Ruiz scoring on a throwing error, and then Jake Alu knocked in a run.
Patrick Corbin started and recorded the win, as he finished with two strikeouts in four innings pitched.
Nationals at Mets, March 7th
After winning their last two contests, the Nationals fell to their NL East division foes, the New York Mets, by the score of 3-1. The lone Washington run came in the top of the second when Jacob Young reached on an infield single to second and sent home Ildemaro Vargas.
The Mets went on to score three unanswered runs, thanks to Francisco Alvarez hitting a two-run dinger in the fifth inning, and Francisco Lindor grounding out to second, but allowing Jose Iglesias to score in the sixth.
Jake Irvin got the start for the Nationals and struck out five Mets batters while allowing two hits in his four innings pitched.
