The Washington Nationals earned a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets at Clover Park on Saturday in spring training action. Warming Bernabel paced the offense, going 1-for-2 with an RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Jake Irvin turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of scoreless ball with four strikeouts. The Nationals finished with 6 hits on the day while holding the Mets to 5. The victory gives the Nationals positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Warming Bernabel was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. His steady bat was exactly what the lineup needed. Performances like this give the Nationals confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Brady House provided support, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, Nasim Nuñez also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a double, and Johnathon Thomas chipped in, going 1-for-1 with a double. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Nick Morabito led the Mets offense with a 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI day. Mark Vientos also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Mike Tauchman added a 1-for-2 with a double effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Nationals pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Jake Irvin earned the win after putting together a workmanlike effort, working 3.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit with four strikeouts. He threw 44 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Nationals evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 6.0 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out four. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions. PJ Poulin recorded the save to close out the game.
How It Happened
The Nationals struck first, scoring a run in the third inning. The Nationals pushed across a run in the fourth. The Nationals plated a run in the sixth. Mets answered with a run in the seventh. Mets tacked on a run in the eighth. The Nationals spread their scoring across three different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. The Nationals out-hit Mets 6-5 on the day, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 5,962 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Nationals can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.
