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Taylor Walks off Nats, 4-3 in ST Home Opener

H/T, Courtesy of @PowerBoater69

Michael Taylor, a favorite here during his meteoric rise from High-A to MLB in 2013-2014, gave the fans at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches a thrill as he drilled a two-out solo HR in the bottom of the 9th for a 4-3 walkoff over the Houston Astros.

Jeremy Guthrie got the GCL start with two scoreless innings pitched. He led a parade of eight relievers over nine innings, including watchlister Koda Glover, who struck out one and walked none in a single inning of work.

Derek Norris also homered as the Nationals broke into double digits in the hit column again with ten hits for the second time in as many games.

Rafael Bautista, Andrew Stevenson, and Brian Goodwin were the only watchlist position players to appear in the game. Bautista subbed for Adam Eaton in CF and went hitless in two AB’s. Goodwin replaced Adam Lind in LF and struck out twice in two PA’s. Steven pinch-ran for Jose Lobaton but did not score a run.

The win evened up the Nats at 2-2 for the spring. They’re back on the road on Wednesday to face the Tigers in Lakeland before rematching with Houston as the visiting team on Thursday.

11 Commments

  1. I’m surprised there has yet to be a mention of the Joe Blanton signing here, especially since it greatly reduces the chance that even one prospect (Koda Glover) will make the opening day roster. I’m very glad they bolstered what was by far the weakest area of the team, and getting Glover a little more AAA seasoning if he’s the one who gets sent down as a result is actually a plus.

    1. Maybe that’s because yesterday’s WaPo story has Glover still in the mix:

      When the deal becomes official, Blanton will join a bullpen that still lacks a clear closer but no longer lacks proven depth. He will join Shawn Kelley, Blake Treinen, Oliver Perez and Sammy Solis as likely locks in the Nationals’ relief corps, leaving two spots unsettled. One seems likely to go to hard-throwing 23-year-old Koda Glover, who will make his spring debut Wednesday.

      Don’t get me wrong – I share in your pessimism. The Nats seems to prefer to bring prospects up in season vs. making the club out of spring training.

      1. True true
        Any Intel on the next two months
        Reality for Marmelos ?? True DL?
        Opener in harrisburg for Jose??

        1. If Orange really has to wait a full 60 days (not sure how it works for spring training), he won’t be eligible to play until 4/25 I believe.

          1. Eligible to play in MLB, that is. I’m pretty sure he’d be allowed to rehab his “injury” at Harrisburg until then. As we were reminded earlier in this offseason, guys can be optioned to AAA then brought back up without burning an option in April (e.g. Michael Taylor in 2015).

      2. As usual, the Post’s analysis is pretty shallow. Do their writers have any idea how options work? It seems obvious that Glover’s main competition is now Romero, who will almost certainly get a chance to show he has fixed his control problems. Romero might well get DFA’ed before April is out, but I’d place a $10 bet he’ll at least be on the opening day roster as long as he doesn’t completely melt down this spring.

    1. Thanks for the link; part of him not liking Fedde is he admits not finding a good way to project pitchers. Fair.

      With Stevenson, you wonder when do you look at him, he’s moving fast with a bullet and he’s starting to force the issue, which is what you want.

      1. I wondered going into the spring if we’d see more the Stevenson who struggled at AA, or the one who played like Trea Turner in AZ. So far, he’s doing a lot to make a memorable first impression with the big club, although it’s still extra early. He’s trying to put himself in position to at least get an MLB cup of coffee this year, although it’s hard to predict the circumstances.

  3. On the closer situation, I’ve been one of the small minority of voices crying all winter that if the Nats didn’t get one of the “big three” (Chapman, Jansen, or Melancon), that the in-house options were probably as good as anyone else they could get. Treinen, Kelley, Solis, and Glover (if he sticks) could all be formidable at the end of games. Glover made it to the majors in less than one season after being drafted. That’s a heck of an ascent with a contending club. He may not stick coming out of the spring this year, due to numbers, experience, and health/recovery issues, but whenever he comes up again, it make be for good. It would be foolish to flat-out anoint him the “closer of the future,” but he sure has the closer mentality and stuff.

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