The Washington Nationals have now dropped a pair of games in as many days, falling to 4-2-1 in spring training after a 7-3 defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies
One day after dropping their first game of spring training, the Washington Nationals dropped its second straight game after suffering a 7-3 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon.
In his second start, Jake Eder allowed one home run while tossing a pair of strikeouts and walks in his two innings. Gus Varland would be credited for the loss after pitching in the deflating third inning showing, while Tyler Baum accounted for a pair of walks in his lone inning. Eight different pitchers ended up taking the mound as the Nationals combined for six strikeouts, seven hits allowed and eight walks in the latest spring training loss.
The Nationals would kick off the scoring in the top of the first after a single from Brady House would set up shortstop Nasim Nunez with an RBI infield single to take an early 1-0 lead, but the Phillies would answer right back with a 336 foot home run in the second at bat for Jake Eder.
Philadelphia would then put together a four run third inning after a leadoff double set up a 353 foot home run the next at bat, extending the deficit to 3-1. Former National Bryce Harper would then add to it after his double into right brought in a runner from first base to make it a 4-1 game. Seth Shuman would then replace Gus Garland after giving up four runs and three hits in just 0.2 innings, but the replacement wouldn't fare much better after a single two at bats later brought Harper home to make it a 5-1 game.
First baseman Andres Chaparro would give the Nationals juice with a two-run, 361 foot home run that brought Robert Hassell III, who singled to centerfield, home with two outs in the top of the fourth.
But the Nationals would not be able to get any closer than that after a sac fly from Bryce Harper brought in another Phillies run in the fifth inning, while a two out infield single brought in another run in the sixth inning, extending the deficit to 7-3.
Now sitting at 4-2-1 ahead of Friday, Washington will return to action on Friday night in a rematch against the Houston Astros with the game's first pitch set for 6:05 PM. The two teams met on the opening day of spring training with the Nationals taking down the Astros, 2-1, in a split roster win last Saturday.