The St. Louis Cardinals handed the Washington Nationals a 5-1 loss at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday in spring training play. Despite Brady House's 2-for-4 effort at the plate, the Nationals could not overcome a sizable deficit. Zack Littell worked 2.2 innings on the mound, allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits. The Cardinals out-hit the Nationals 10-7 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Nationals continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Brady House was the standout at the plate, going 2-for-4. His consistent contact set the tone for the lineup. The Nationals will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Nasim Nuñez added to the attack, going 1-for-2, Jacob Young provided support, going 1-for-3, and Daylen Lile also contributed, going 1-for-4. The Nationals showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Trey Paige led the Cardinals offense with a 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI day. Dakota Harris also contributed, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Nelson Velázquez added a 2-for-3 with an RBI effort as well. The Cardinals offense proved to be too much for the Nationals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Zack Littell took the loss after running into trouble, working 2.2 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 64 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 5.1 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out eight. The Nationals continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Brad Lord stood out with 3.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out three. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Cardinals got on the board first with a run in the first inning. The Nationals responded with a run in the second. Cardinals countered with two runs in the third. Cardinals plated two runs in the eighth. The Cardinals were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Cardinals out-hit the Nationals 10-7, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 4,798 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Nationals will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
