The new guys led the Nats to a come-from-behind, 4-3 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon.
Jesse Winker’s RBI single tied the game at 2-2 in the 3rd while Joey Gallo’s two-run double in the 5th gave the Nats a 4-2 lead.
Unfortunately, “our guys” weren’t as much to credit as to blame. Jackson Rutledge dug the Nats a 2-0 hole in two innings of work, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out three. DJ Herz was credited with the hold, but walked four over two innings and allowed the third Boston run on two hits. Both pitchers committed an error on errant pickoffs.
Dylan Crews extended his hit streak to two (2) with a 1-for-3 mark as the starting RF. He also stole a base for the second time this spring.
Drew Millas also got the nod as the first backstop and went 1-for-2 with a run scored.
Here’s how the rest of the watchlisters did coming off the bench:
- Trey Lipscomb subbed for CJ Abrams at SS but was hitless in two AB
- James Wood replaced Crews in RF and collected his fifth hit in as many ST games
- Robert Hassell doubled in his lone AB as the teams’s second CF
- Israel Pineda struck out to end the 7th while replacing Millas behind the plate
The Nats head back to Roger Dean Stadium to face the Cardinals this afternoon. Patrick Corbin is slated to make his second ST start. The game can be heard on MLB Audio (St. Louis feed).
Until this year, there was no reason to look at the minor-league transaction pages during spring training. But with the new 165-player limit that’s been mentioned previously, things have changed.
On Tuesday, seven guys were dropped from the FCL Nationals roster:
- C’s Edward De La Cruz, Jeisel Acosta
- SS Angel Geraldo
- CF Daniel Marte
- LHP Josue Carmona
- RHPs Jose Ulloa, Cristian Jimenez
Yesterday, they were replaced by seven of these guys. I don’t think that means 11 more guys are looking up for their Sword of Damocles – in a couple of weeks, 60-day I.L. moves may spare them until May – but like so much in the minors since MLB’s coup d’état, things will be different than they were in the Before Times.