Nats Drop Grapefruit League Opener, 7-4
The Astros banged out six in runs in the first three innings and held off the Nats for a 7-4 win last night in West Palm Beach.
Patrick Corbin took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits over an inning and 2/3rds. He walked none and struck out four.
James Wood began the parade of watchlist piayers into the game as he pinch-ran for Lane Thomas in the 4th. A two-out double sent him to third and a bases-loaded walk two batters later broke up the shutout bid.
The Rockville, MD native went deep in his first at-bat while Robert Hassell followed with a triple and scored on a Travis Blankenhorn double. Drew Millas completed the scoring in the 8th as he came around on Nasim Nunez’s one-out single.
Here’s how the watchlisters fared:
- Woods finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored and played RF
- Hassell also went 2-for-3 with a 9th-inning single play taking over LF
- Millas, who pinch-ran for Keibert Ruiz in the bottom of the 4th and caught the last five innings, was 1-for-3 at the plate and threw out a baserunner in the 9th
- Dylan Crews subbed for Victor Robles in CF and was 0-for-1 with a walk
- Jackson Rutledge pitched two scoreless innings with a one hit and one walk allowed and two whiffs
- DJ Herz walked the batter that Millas erased and struck out two to face the minimum of three batters in the 9th
Washington will make the bus ride to Jupiter, FL—the planet would take too long—this afternoon to play Miami. MacKenzie Gore is expected to start, followed by Jake Irvin. The game can be heard on 106.7FM, unless an ex-Commanders coach taking the same role at UCLA pre-empts it.
One can truly see into the near future later innings in these early exhibition
Games .
Time to check out weekend NCAA action especially the top ranked , pitching studded Wake Forest Deacons .
Hooray for games! Hooray for our guys! Hooray for Hassell starting off the new season on a positive note after so much struggle.
Hoping that they have a true audition for the rotation and give Rutledge a chance to beat out Trevor Williams. If they were hoping that Adon could be a part of that competition, his first appearance yesterday didn’t go well.
Even Brenner Cox snuck on the bus to Jupiter ..
Rutledge pitched from the stretch 100%, like that.
Wood crushed that home run, it almost left the ballpark under the scoreboard in CF.
Herz comes in and throws 7 straight balls (though he did get two swings), Millas makes a great throw to erase the runner and Herz comes back with nothing but strikes to retire the side. what’s not to like.
That’s very interesting with Rutledge. Of course the question becomes whether they’re doing it like they did with Stras, to simplify his delivery, or if they’re prepping him to be a reliever. There has always been the “repeatable delivery” question with Rutledge because of his size, so maybe this will help.
with the nature of his delivery (which he started last year) it seems more logical to me to work from the stretch. he can certainly generate enough power. I know there’s some sentiment is that he’s ultimately a reliever but it’s premature to make that move now. yes he’s nearing 25, but he lost two years to covid and injury.
I like Millas, the clearly superior defensive catcher, who displays baseball savvy!
I notice that both the WaPO gamer and today’s article don’t mention Joan Adon and his horrifically bad, no-good performance in yesterday’s game. Comes in with the bases empty and two outs and goes walk, single, double (2 runs), catcher’s interference, walk, single (2 runs) before getting the last out. Then gives up another run (mostly Ruiz’s fault, with ANOTHER catcher’s interference and a passed ball) before getting lifted in the 3rd. Blech.
I like Millas’s game, but I have concerns since he has a small frame and has been somewhat injury prone. He is certainly the most athletic of the Nats’ catching options.