The New York Mets (12-16) defeated the Washington Nationals (16-11) in their final home contest of the spring by a final of 8-4.
Pitching
Tim Peterson made the start for the Mets in lieu of Noah Syndergaard, who instead threw to minor leaguers on the backfields (Syndergaard is due to pitch to the Nationals in their second game of the regular season next Saturday). He worked two scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out one. As the team continues to deliberate the final bullpen spot, Peterson is expected to travel to Sarasota with the rest of the team ahead of their last Spring game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Eighteen-year old right-hander and top prospect Simeon Woods-Richardson debuted in relief in the third, walking his first two batters before surrendering a three-run homer to Matt Adams following a sacrifice bunt. He retired his next two batters on a strikeout and ground out, and was lifted for Zach Lee ahead of the fourth.
Lee recorded two outs on his first four pitches, but allowed a single before minor-league third baseman Drew Ward drove in the go-ahead run on a double into the gap in right-center. That would be the Nationals’ only damage against Lee, who struck out two in a three-up, three-down fifth, while escaping trouble with a scoreless sixth following a pair of two-out hits. Lee worked around a two-out double in the seventh, finishing a one-run, 68-pitch effort en route to his first win of the preseason.
Casey Coleman tossed the final two innings, striking out three while allowing a walk and a double in his fifth scoreless outing.
Offense
Brandon Nimmo led off the bottom of the first with a triple against recently-optioned Nationals starter Joe Ross, scoring two pitches later on a Jeff McNeil ground out. Pete Alonso tripled off the right-center field wall one batter later. He scored on a bloop base hit off the bat of Michael Conforto.
On a wild fastball in the top of the third from Woods Richardson, catcher Wilson Ramos took a bad hop off the index finger of his throwing hand and exited the game. He was replaced by non-roster catcher Ali Sanchez. We will keep you updated as details continue to emerge.
The Mets quickly tied matters the following half after McNeil led off with a walk and reached third on a shift-beating infield hit from Robinson Cano. He would score shortly thereafter on a 6-4-3 double play from Alonso.
Juan Lagares drilled his first home run of the spring to tie things up a second time in the bottom of the fifth. The Mets managed a total of seven hits off Ross, whom they tagged for two runs on four hits in their last meeting in a 9-5 loss on Monday.
Conforto led off the bottom of the sixth with a bunt base hit off lefty reliever Taylor Guilbeau to cap off a 2-for-3 day, with pinch-runner Dario Pizzano advancing and the catcher Sanchez reaching first on a throwing error by shortstop Luis Sardinas. After an Amed Rosario sacrifice bunt and Dominic Smith strikeout jeapordized the Mets’ shot at the lead, Lagares reached first on another error (this one by second baseman Bengie Gonzalez), scoring Pizzano. He was replaced on the basepaths by Quinn Brodey.
Nimmo would walk to load the bases before Keon Broxton replaced him as a pinch-runner, ending a day in which Nimmo reached base three times in four plate appearances. Broxton and the two runners ahead of him would all score on a double from McNeil to break things open and give the Mets a four-run lead. McNeil’s four-RBI performance singlehandedly doubled his total for the spring.
A trio of non-roster relievers in Dakota Bacus, Joan Baez and Derek Self retired seven of the final eight Met batters — four via strikeout — to keep the lead to four.
On Deck
The Mets will conclude their spring training with a road matchup against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The game can be listened to via Orioles radio access on MLB.com, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. No probable starters have been listed at the moment for either side.
