The New York Mets handed the Washington Nationals a 8-3 loss at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Friday in spring training play. Despite Dylan Crews's 1-for-2 with an RBI effort at the plate, the Nationals could not overcome a sizable deficit. On the mound, Zack Littell turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 1-run ball with two strikeouts. The Mets out-hit the Nationals 10-3 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
Dylan Crews was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. 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-1 with a double and an RBI and Daylen Lile provided support, 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, Nick Roselli led the Mets offense with a 1-for-2 with a double and three RBI day. Carson Benge also contributed, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. Ronald Hernandez added a 1-for-1 with an RBI effort as well. The Mets offense proved to be too much for the Nationals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Zack Littell got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 39 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 6.0 innings of work, allowing 5 earned runs while striking out five. 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, Julian Fernández stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Mets got on the board first with a run in the first inning. Mets tacked on a run in the fifth. The Nationals countered with two runs in the fifth. The Nationals plated a run in the sixth. Mets answered with three runs in the eighth. Mets tacked on three runs in the ninth. The Mets were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Mets out-hit the Nationals 10-3, with 5 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 3,226 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.
