The Houston Astros played the Washington Nationals to a 3-3 draw at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Monday in spring training action. James Nelson led the offensive effort with a 1-for-2 with an RBI day, but neither club could land the decisive blow. Hunter Brown worked 2.2 innings on the mound, allowing 1 earned run on 1 hit. The Nationals out-hit the Astros 6-5 on the day. The draw is part of the exhibition experience, and the coaching staff will evaluate the individual performances as they continue assembling the Opening Day roster.
Key Performers
James Nelson was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. His steady bat was exactly what the lineup needed. Performances like this give the Astros confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Jose Altuve provided support, going 1-for-3, Josh Wakefield also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a double, and Cam Smith chipped in, going 1-for-1 with a double. While there were individual bright spots, the lineup could not string hits together consistently.
On the other side of the diamond, Keibert Ruiz led the Nationals offense with a 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI day. Brady House also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. James Wood added a 1-for-3 effort as well. The Nationals offense proved to be too much for the Astros pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Hunter Brown got the start, struggling with his command, working 2.2 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 1 hit with three strikeouts. He threw 43 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Astros evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 6.1 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out seven. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today provided useful information about the current state of the bullpen. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
Among the relievers, J.P. France stood out with 2.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
Nationals got on the board first with a run in the second inning. The Astros countered with a run in the second. Nationals struck back with a run in the fourth. Nationals added a run in the fifth. The Astros responded with a run in the seventh. The Astros pushed across a run in the eighth. Nationals out-hit the Astros 6-5, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 2,302 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Astros will move on from the draw as spring training continues. Exhibition games can end in ties under spring training rules, and the coaching staff will focus on the individual performances rather than the outcome as they finalize their roster ahead of Opening Day. Every at-bat and every inning on the mound is valuable preparation for the regular season ahead.
