Long Ball Leads To Second Spring Win
Solo HRs by Jayson Werth and Mark DeRosa coupled with solid relief pitching paced the Nats past the Braves for a 5-2 win this afternoon.
Gio Gonzalez turned in three scoreless innings in his spring debut, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out two.
Michael Morse was a lat(e) scratch, which gave Bryce Harper his fourth start in five days. The 19-year-old went 1-for-4 with a strikeout but ran into a double play trying to advance from first to third on a grounder to third.
Running down the notable minor-leaguer lines from the box score:
- Anthony Rendon got his first hit for the spring, an opposite-field double to right in the 8th inning. He played 3B but had no defensive chances.
- Eury Perez went 0-for-2 and played CF, registering a putout.
- Tyler Moore drove in the 5th Nationals run with a sacrifice fly and played error-free at 1B.
- Sandy Leon went 1-for-2 while subbing in at catcher for Wilson Ramos.
- Atahualpa Severino started the sixth but gave up a single and a walk before getting a strikeout on former Myrtle Beach Pelican Ernesto “Ole” Mejia.
- Austin Bibens-Dirkx let in one of the two runners he inherited from Severino before striking out Jason Heyward to end the 6th.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Nats return to Viera to host the defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. Jordan Zimmermann is scheduled to start for the Nats, while Shelby Miller is slated for the Cards. The game will not be televised or broadcast on radio, home or away.
Looks like the Nats will do okay as long as they don’t play the juggernaut that is Houston.
Johnson’s still trying to figure out who he can rely on from the bench … looks like he was right about DeRosa. Still some spots open though …
On the insider there were a lot of negative comments about the Nat’s bench. Assuming health, I don’t buy it. Derosa and Flores would be starters on many team. Ankiel, despite last year’s offensive woes could turn that all around if healthy. Either Lombordozzi or Blanco should be solid middle infielders off the bench. That leaves one position, likely an outfielder and would be my only question mark, although there are a lot of good possibilities.
Like Sensfan said yesterday, it is early. Hell, nobody’s been sent to minor-league camp yet, though that could arguably be explained away by the (relatively) smaller numbers of players in camp.
Thanks, Luke, for the informed commentary. The young Nats look as good as the invited position players, of whom only DeRosa and Carroll have so far impressed. Bernadina and Brown have stroked the ball well, and Perez looks like a guy with a lot of upside. They also have a number of viable options for middle infield, with Lombo now, and Rendon in a year, or perhaps less, plus Hague, Kobernus and several lesser possibilities. Ankiel is a terrific athlete, and if he can successfully change his plate discipline and approach, they won’t need another quick fix at CF, and can wait for Perez, or Brown, or Goodwin, to mature.
This team is shaping up.
I think this team would love for a platoon of Ankiel and some other rh batter to hold down center until one of the younger players emerges. Of course Desmond and/or Espinosa must play well and hold the lead off and #2 spots in the batting order. Lombardozi could also be in play here by the end of the year if one of them falters.