The Houston Astros handed the Washington Nationals a 7-1 loss at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Friday in spring training play. Despite Daylen Lile's 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Nationals could not overcome a sizable deficit. On the mound, Cade Cavalli turned in a solid outing, working 4.0 innings of scoreless ball with six strikeouts. The Astros out-hit the Nationals 7-2 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
Daylen Lile was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Nationals will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Riley Adams added to the attack, going 1-for-3. The Nationals showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, John Garcia led the Astros offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI day. Brice Matthews also contributed, going 1-for-1 with a double and two RBI. Joey Loperfido added a 1-for-3 with an RBI effort as well. The Astros offense proved to be too much for the Nationals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Cade Cavalli took the loss after turning in a quality outing, working 4.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit with six strikeouts. He threw 51 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 2.6 innings of work, allowing 6 earned runs while striking out three. 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, Tyler Baum stood out with 1.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Astros got on the board first with a run in the third inning. Astros tacked on two runs in the sixth. The Nationals countered with a run in the seventh. Astros struck back with two runs in the seventh. Astros added two runs in the eighth. The Astros were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Astros out-hit the Nationals 7-2, with 3 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 2,703 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.
