Nats Shut Out Astros, 8-0
Pitching continues to not be the problem, as the four moundsmen limited the Houston nine to just three hits in an 8-0 shutout this afternoon.
Edwin Jackson led the way with four innings, with two hits allowed and three strikeouts, followed by Ross Detwiler (3IP, 0H, 3K), Ryan Perry (1IP, 1H, 2K) and Henry Rodriguez, who somehow managed to neither walk nor strike out a batter in a 1-2-3 ninth.
On the off chance that today’s solar flares affected your internet service, Bryce Harper was scratched from today’s game with a mild calf strain. He’s expected to miss 2-3 days with the injury.
The injury gave Eury Perez an unexpected start, with which the 21-year-old delivered a 2-for-4 outing with an RBI and a run scored while playing centerfield.
Among the other notable minor-leaguer lines from the boxscore:
- Steve Lombardozzi started at SS and led off, going 1-for-2 with a walk and leading a 6-4-3 DP
- Anthony Rendon subbed for Lombardozzi as a pinch-runner and scored twice while going 1-for-2 with an RBI double
- Tyler Moore also pinch-ran and played 1B again but was hitless in two ABs
- Carlos Rivero scored a run but went 0-for-1 while subbing for Jayson Werth as the DH
- Corey Brown doubled to raise his spring average to .429 and played LF
- Sandy Leon drew a walk in his lone PA while catching the final three innings
Stephen Strasburg is scheduled to get his second start of the spring tomorrow night as the Nats travel to Jupiter, FL to face off against the Miami Marlins. Lombardozzi, Rendon, Perez, and Moore are all expected to start. The game can be heard online via MLB Audio.
Its good to see Corey Brown leaving it all out on the field after the injury filled fiasco of year he had in 2011. Hope he beats someone out for a bench position. He’s as good a fielder as Ankiel and does have a decent arm along with power.
More importantly. does he have any options left?
Yes, he has two options left.
I would say that Brett Carroll has the inside track to platoon with Ankiel in cf until Harper is brought up. If Harper breaks camp with the big club then Ankiel is the 4th outfielder. Brown has options, Carroll has options, Michaels is too old to go back to AAA. The other AAA outfielder will come from X Paul and Chris Rahl.
The Nats are expected to make their first cuts after Sunday’s game. I don’t expect much in the way of “smoking gun” indicators. Most likely: longshot bench candidates (IFs), relievers, and 40-man guys like Rivero, Purke, and Rendon. With the injuries to Morse, Harper, and LaRoche, I have a feeling they’ll keep most of the OFs around.
When do they typically name the rosters for the other teams?
I’m expecting announcements to come in late March, early April. It’ll be preceded by a large cut of minor-leaguers.