Mets Double up the Nats, 8-4

You take the good, you take the bad. You take them both when you have Spring Training Games…

OK, fine. I’m no Alan Thicke. But the strokes remained the same in Spring Training 2021 as the Nats couldn’t hold a 4-1 lead in the middle innings and fell to the Mets, 8-4 to remain winless (0-3-1).

The good refers to the outings of top prospects Cade Cavalli and Jackson Rutledge, nos. 1 and 2 respectively according to Baseball America for 2021 and vice-versa according to MLB Pipeline’s 2020 List.

Cavalli pitched the 2nd yesterday and struggled a little, needing 24 pitches to get three outs. He issued a walk but got two strikeouts and committed an error.

Rutledge followed Cavalli in the 3rd and was much more efficient – 19 pitches, 12 strikes. He gave up a leadoff single, picked ’em off, then struck out the next two batters.

The bad? Well, that would be Cole Henry (the consensus No. 3 prospect), who got one quick out, then loaded the bases. Pete Alonzo unloaded ’em with a grand slam to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. Henry would finish with a line of 1IP, 2H, 4R, BB, K, HBP. He threw 28 pitches, 15 for strikes.

New York’s NL entry extended the lead to 8-4 by making hay against Jacob Condra-Bogan (1IP, 2H, 2R, BB, 0K, HR) in the 7th, Matt Cronin (⅔ IP, 0H, R, 3BB, 1K), and Todd Peterson (⅓ IP IP, 3-1 IR-S, BB, 0K) in the 8th.

No watchlist players were in the Washington starting lineup. Here’s how they did coming off the bench, along with some notable minor-leaguers:

• Luis García was the second 2B and connected for a single in the 7th, finishing 1-for-2
• Cody Wilson subbed for Victor Robles but was hitless (0-2)
• Yasel Antuna pinch-ran for Yan Gomes in the 6th but did not score
• Raudy Read caught the last three innings and grounded out in his sole AB
• Drew Mendoza followed Ryan Zimmerman and led off the 7th with a single but grounded out in the 9th

Tonight, Max Scherzer is expected to make his ST debut in West Palm Beach against the Cardinals. The game can be heard on MLB Audio with the St. Louis radio feed.

The F-Nats became the first of the affiliates to announce game times for 2021, which I pass along as a sign that AA and below will indeed start in May. Single-game tickets are not yet available.