A leadoff walk in the 9th and an Danny Espinosa error in the 10th helped the Nats snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for a 3-2 loss in Grapefruit League action this afternoon.
John Lannan threw four scoreless innings to bolster his case for the No. 5 starter, while Ian Desmond went 3-for-4 with a walk and a double in his return to the leadoff slot. He also made an error. The No. 2 batter Espinosa stranded six runners in an 0-for-5 effort, striking out once and grounding into a double play.
Of course, we’re now at that point in the spring where the posts get shorter, as just two notable minor-leaguers saw game action.
Steve Lombardozzi made his first appearance in the outfield, playing left field and making three putouts over six innings. Offensively, he went 1-for-3.
Atahualpa Severino had his first 1-2-3 appearance of the spring, inducing a groundout and two flyballs for his second hold.
The loss drops the Nats to 5-10 in Grapefruit League play. Gio Gonzalez makes his third start as the Nationals hop the bus for an afternoon game at Roger Dean Stadium vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. The game can be heard or seen live on MLB.com and on tape delay on the MLB Network tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m.