The Houston Astros fell 3-2 to the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday in spring training play. Despite Carlos Correa's 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Astros could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Mike Burrows turned in a solid outing, working 4.0 innings of scoreless ball with five strikeouts. The Nationals out-hit the Astros 8-7 on the day. The Astros will look to regroup as spring training rolls on. There is still time to work through the rough patches before the regular season arrives, and the coaching staff will use today's performance as a learning opportunity.
Key Performers
Carlos Correa was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. The long ball provided a major boost to the offensive attack. It was the kind of day at the plate that suggests good things ahead for the Astros offense.
Yordan Alvarez also contributed, going 3-for-3 with a double, Yainer Diaz chipped in, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Cam Smith added to the attack, going 1-for-3 with a double. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.
On the other side of the diamond, Andrés Chaparro led the Nationals offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI day. Trey Lipscomb also contributed, going 1-for-1 with an RBI. Brady House added a 2-for-4 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
Mike Burrows got the start, pitching effectively, working 4.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 3 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.
The bullpen combined for 5.0 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out eight. The relief corps kept the game within reach after the starter departed. Managing the bullpen workload is a key priority during the spring, and every outing helps the coaching staff gauge who is ready for high-leverage situations. Griff McGarry recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Bryan King stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. The outing gave the coaching staff confidence in his ability to contribute this season.
How It Happened
The Astros struck first, pushing across a run in the first inning. The Astros plated a run in the third. Nationals answered with a run in the fifth. Nationals tacked on two runs in the ninth. Nationals out-hit the Astros 8-7, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 2,962 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Astros will regroup and get back to work in their next outing. While the final score was not in their favor, the exhibition season is about building toward the regular season, and this game provided useful reps for a roster still taking shape. The coaching staff will review the performance and make adjustments before the next time out.
