Game Thread: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter
Foster Griffin is on the mound, and pretty much all of the Nationals' remaining position players are on hand for the second-to-last game of the Grapefruit League schedule
JUPITER, Fla. – So, there’s still a game to be played this evening. While this afternoon’s news about Dylan Crews’ demotion to Triple-A Rochester clearly deserves the primary headline, the Nationals do have another exhibition to play, right back in the ballpark where they faced the Cardinals on Thursday.
This time, it’s the Marlins in the opposing dugout, the final matchup of the spring between these two division rivals. The Nats, who only have 14 position players remaining in camp, have pretty much everyone here for this game. That includes Christian Franklin, the rookie who is starting in right field and has put himself in prime position to make the Opening Day roster (unless the team acquires another outfielder before then, which is a possibility).
Foster Griffin is on the mound for what technically is only his second Grapefruit League start of the spring. But that doesn’t include his start against (eventual World Baseball Classic champion) Venezuela in a pre-tournament exhibition, nor his start on a back field in a minor-league game. Regardless, it will be good to see the left-hander face a major-league lineup as he moves closer to his regular-season debut.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Marlins feed)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 72 degrees, wind 12 mph in from center
NATIONALS
DH James Wood
CF Jacob Young
LF Daylen Lile
1B Andrés Chaparro
3B Brady House
SS CJ Abrams
RF Christian Franklin
C Drew Millas
2B José Tena
LHP Foster Griffin
MARLINS
3B Javier Sanoja
C Agustin Ramirez
LF Griffin Conine
1B Christopher Morel
RF Owen Cassie
CF Esteury Ruiz
DH Kemp Alderman
2B Chase Jaworsky
SS Johnny Olmstead
RHP Chris Paddack
Cionel Perez has looked great all spring, and tonight was no exception. He just retired the side in the bottom of the sixth on 10 pitches, including a nasty slider to strike out Dillon Head. That's now six scoreless innings for the lefty this spring.
Just got back from interviewing Foster Griffin, and it's worth noting he was pleased for the most part with tonight. He said in that first inning he was specifically working on some things he wouldn't normally do -- ditching his cutter -- and that led in part to the two walks. He felt like there was only one hard-hit ball off him (the Ramirez double in the third) and was pleased with how he finished strong. Plenty more coming in my postgame report.