PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – The Washington Nationals and New York Mets finished their final spring training matchup in a 5-5 tie on Saturday afternoon at Clover Park. The Nationals rallied with a four-run sixth inning to overcome an early deficit, but the Mets responded to even the score in the seventh.​

MacKenzie Gore started for the Nationals, pitching 3.0 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out four batters.​ Michell Cuevas followed with a scoreless inning, yielding no hits and striking out one.​ Joan Adon delivered 2.0 hitless innings, striking out one without issuing any walks.​ Chance Huff struggled in his inning of work, giving up two runs on three hits, including a home run.​ Tanner Schultz and Reed Cranz each contributed a scoreless inning to maintain the tie, but the offense was done by that point.

The Nationals' defense has been a focal point this spring, with all sorts of results. Notably, James Wood has continued to show his struggles adapting to left field, displaying some inconsistency in his defensive performance. While his athleticism is evident, the transition has been less smooth than anticipated, and what will be done about it remains to be seen. It did not help that he was hurt going into the spring with quad tendinitis, but time will tell how the team manages to go about it this season.

At the plate, Jacob Young was a standout performer, going 2-for-2 with a pivotal two-run double in the sixth inning, giving the Nationals a 5-3 lead at that point. He also drew a walk and stole a base.​ Juan Yepez had a strong showing, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.​ Keibert Ruiz added an RBI single in the sixth, contributing to the Nationals' rally.​

In summary, the Mets jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by Brandon Nimmo's RBI ground-rule double that should have been prevented by Wood, and then Jesse Winker's RBI single. The Nationals responded in the fifth with an RBI single from Wood. The sixth inning saw the Nationals surge ahead, thanks to the aforementioned contributions from Ruiz, Yepez, and Young. However, the Mets came back in the seventh, with Hayden Senger hitting a solo home run and Francisco Lindor delivering a game-tying RBI single.​

The Nationals' bullpen depth has also taken a hit, as reliever Derek Law will not be with the team to open the season. “I was bummed originally, just because the whole Opening Day thing is super special.” Law, a known team-first guy, said. “It’s hard to make a team and get on it. I’ve been on both sides of that. It’s super special. But also you have to look at the bigger picture. If I’m not available in September and August when we’re in the hunt, then what’s it for?” Manager Dave Martinez also noted that Law will not throw nearly as many innings as last year. This is not shocking since he cracked the top five innings pitched by a reliever in a single season in franchise history.

Up Next:

The Nationals will host the Houston Astros tomorrow at 1:05 PM at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. At the same time, they will face the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The team will then come back to D.C. to play an exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday at Nationals Park. The regular season opener is scheduled for Thursday, with the Nationals hosting the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park.