The Washington Nationals handed the New York Mets a 7-4 loss at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday in spring training play. Despite Brett Baty's 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Mets could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Justin Hagenman turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 2-run ball with four strikeouts. The Nationals out-hit the Mets 12-5 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Mets 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
Brett Baty was the key contributor at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Mets will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Bo Bichette chipped in, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, Mike Tauchman added to the attack, going 1-for-1 with a double, and Jorge Polanco provided support, going 1-for-2. The Mets showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, José Tena led the Nationals offense with a 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI day. Trey Lipscomb also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Christian Franklin added a 2-for-3 with an RBI effort as well. The Nationals offense proved to be too much for the Mets pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Justin Hagenman got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with four strikeouts. He threw 43 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 4.3 innings of work, allowing 5 earned runs while striking out four. The Mets 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. Gus Varland recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Ofreidy Gómez 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
The Mets struck first, tallying three runs in the first inning. Nationals answered with two runs in the second. Nationals tacked on a run in the fourth. Nationals pushed across four runs in the sixth. The Mets struck back with a run in the seventh. The Nationals were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Nationals out-hit the Mets 12-5, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 4,106 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Mets 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.
