After a three-game absence, the Washington offense showed up today in Viera with a 9-2 win over Detroit. The Nats pounded out 11 hits, including a solo homer by Drew Vettleson (1-for-1) in the 7th and a two-run shot by Matt Skole (1-for-2) in the 8th.
Jordan Zimmermann made his second start and struck out four over two and 2/3rds while letting in a run on two hits to earn the spring-training win. Felipe Rivero was among the parade of relievers who followed, stranding two hits allowed while strikins out one in a scoreless 8th.
Wilmer Difo got things rolling early as he doubled in the 1st and tripled in the 2nd, finishing with a 2-for-3 mark as the starting 2B. Cutter Dykstra followed and went 1-for-2 with a strikeout. Emmanuel Burriss, Sandy Leon, and Jeff Kobernus all went 0-for-1 while subbing at shortstop, catcher, and left field, respectively.
The win improves Washington’s 2015 Grapefruit League record to 4-3 and was the first game played this spring to be won or lost by more than one run.
Stephen Strasburg will not toe the slab tomorrow. A.J. Cole will make the start instead as the Nats travel to Port St. Lucie to take on the Mets tomorrow afternoon.