Cade Povich looked sharp yesterday. 

No hits, no walks and no earned runs at Nationals Park for the final exhibition game of the season. 

“Really good. Wanted to get the guys in, get them out quickly and get to Toronto,” Povich said with a laugh. “Everything felt good.”

The goose eggs on the box score would’ve looked better if there was a box score. The rain in the nation’s capital didn’t let the Orioles and Nationals take the field for their final tune-up of spring training. There wasn’t a game, but Povich did look sharp. 

His outfit did, at least.

Now entering his eighth season as Nationals manager, Davey Martinez knows no team is like any of its predecessors.

The 2018 Nats were desperate to get over the October hump, maybe too desperate, and never even got there. The 2019 Nats were much looser, once they reached the depths of 19-31 and decided to just start having fun, all the way to a thrilling championship.

The 2020 Nats were ready to enjoy a victory lap, only to have it shut down by COVID. The 2021 Nats tried to run it back one more time with a veteran roster, then flamed out in July.

The 2022 Nats had to cope with the reality of a rebuild, then the shock of one of the biggest trades in baseball history. The 2023 Nats were young and hungry but knew they weren’t anywhere close to ready yet. And the 2024 Nats were energized by the arrival of two elite prospects but weren’t deep enough to sustain success for six months.

What, then, did Martinez see in the 2025 Nats over the course of six weeks in Florida? Youth. Talent. And a universal desire to move out of the organization’s agonizing rebuild phase and set the bar much higher.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• Rule 5 Draft selection RHP Juan Nuñez has cleared waivers and been returned from the San Diego Padres. He has been assigned to minor league camp.

Washington Nationals Philanthropies, the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club, hosted its annual signature fundraising event Monday night, honoring former player Ian Desmond with its annual Power of Baseball Award. The Nationals Homecoming Gala, presented by The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation, raised nearly $800,000 to further Nationals Philanthropies’ community impact work. Held at held at The Anthem at The Wharf, the event was attended by members of the Lerner family, the Washington Nationals baseball club and front office, corporate leaders and representatives from local government. Auction items can continue to be bid on until 8 p.m. ET on Friday, March 28, at nats.com/homecomingauction.

The Power of Baseball Award, presented by The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation, is Washington Nationals Philanthropies’ most illustrious award, and recognizes an individual, corporation, organization or local group that embodies the positive character and level of achievement exemplified throughout the game of baseball.

“Ian was the first Nationals player to step up to the plate and champion the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. That commitment and unwavering devotion to the goals and values of the program were instrumental to the foundation of the program, said Marla Lerner Tanenbaum, founding chair and board member of Washington Nationals Philanthropies and president of The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation. “Ian’s legacy as the inaugural Player Ambassador to the Academy continues to make positive impacts to this day, as it is a coveted role passed on to the next generation of Nationals players, and his commitment to growing the game through his nonprofit organization, Newtown Connection, is truly inspiring.”

Drafted in the third round of the 2004 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Montreal Expos, Desmond played the first seven seasons of his 11-year MLB career in D.C. Part of the first wave of home-grown talent within the Nationals’ system, the shortstop quickly became a key member to the organization’s success and cemented himself as a fan favorite both on the field and in the community. In addition to receiving three consecutive Silver Slugger Awards and All-Star selections, Desmond was the inaugural Player Ambassador to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy; a founding member of the Academy Board of Directors; a seven-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee (twice with the Nationals); and five-time Heart & Hustle Award winner (four times with the Nationals) throughout his career.

“Ian played an integral role in the success of the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy since its inception, helping it become the welcoming and positive environment for holistic youth development that it is today,” Lauren McCarthy, Vice President and Executive Director, Washington Nationals Philanthropies. “His dedication to ensuring young people have the opportunity to succeed on and off the baseball field is part of his legacy at the Academy, and we are excited to honor the lasting impact of his support at our Nationals Homecoming Gala.”

The Nationals placed DJ Herz on the 15-day injured list this morning with a UCL sprain in his elbow, a potential season-ending ailment for the left-hander that would explain his spring training struggles.

Herz had been optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Friday, capping off a difficult spring that saw the 24-year-old deal with diminished velocity and poor results while ceding the No. 5 starter competition to fellow lefty Mitchell Parker.

At the time, club officials suggested Herz simply needed more time to get his arm in shape and that he would be in the running for a promotion back to the majors once he looked more like himself.

“We know his velo was a little bit down, but just go down there and start getting built up,” manager Davey Martinez said Friday after the demotion was announced. “And understand that last year, he only had (19) starts. He hasn’t pitched that much. So he’s going to go down there and get ready to help us.”

Herz was one of the brightest developments of the 2024 season for the Nationals, called up to make his major league debut in early June and then remaining in the rotation for most of the remainder of the year. He finished with a 4-9 record and 4.16 ERA, but he authored some of the team’s most dominant starts of the season, including six innings of one-hit ball with 13 strikeouts against the Marlins on June 15 and 10 strikeouts with one run allowed July 2 against the Mets.

The Orioles today announced new features at Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the 2025 season. Fans will be able to enjoy new food items, an expanded Bird Bath Splash Zone, unique brands at the Orioles Team Store, and a variety of ticket options for fans of all ages. Highlights include:

2025 MENU FROM BRICK & WHISTLE FOOD CO.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards features a wide selection of food and beverage offerings crafted by Brick & Whistle Food Co. around what fans enjoy most. From fresh value on the brand-new Birdland Value Menu to signature dishes showcasing iconic tastes of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay and a stacked roster of local restaurants and purveyors, there’s something for all appetites. Highlights include:

• Birdland Value Menu – Announced earlier this year, this affordable food and beverage menu features 12 items, with 11 priced at $5 or less, including adult beverages. Fans can find Birdland Value Menu items at various locations throughout Oriole Park, including along the main concourse and in the upper deck. For specific Birdland Value Menu locations throughout the ballpark, visit Orioles.com/ValueMenu. The full menu includes:
• All Beef Hot Dog – $4
• Pretzel Bites with Cheese – $4           
• Cinnamon Pretzel Bites with Cream Cheese Icing – $4
• Nachos with Cheese – $4
• Popcorn – $3.50
• Peanuts – $2.50
• Packaged Dessert – $3
• Refillable Soda Cup – $4
• Bottled Water – $4
• Select 12 oz. Domestic Beers – $5
• 12 oz. Hard Seltzer – $6
• 12 oz. Non-Alcoholic Beer – $5

• Camden Yards Signature Dishes – Brick & Whistle Food Co. chefs have crafted a mouthwatering menu of new specialty offerings you can only find at Oriole Park. This season’s signature dishes showcase local ingredients and elevated, yet approachable ballpark fare:
• The Warehouse Burger – Brick & Whistle’s signature blend double-cheeseburger topped with queso fundido, fried onions, homemade pickle de gallo, and Whistle Sauce, served on a pretzel bun. Located at Bleacher Grill at Section 90.
• The Chessie – Footlong Chesapeake-spiced sausage smothered in a creamy crab dip, pickled sweet corn, and fried green tomatoes, served on a pretzel bun. Located at Baltimore Seafood House at Section 5.
• The Sub-Marine – Crispy beer-battered locally-caught fish topped with creole mustard tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato and pickles, served on a hoagie roll. Located at Baltimore Seafood House at Section 5.

• Local Restaurants and Purveyors – More than a dozen favorite establishments from across Baltimore and Maryland will serve fans at Oriole Park this season, including several new additions and returning partners. Additionally, Camden Commons will feature rotating appearances from nine local restaurants throughout the season. 
• Ekiben – New this season, featuring its popular buns, including The Neighborhood Bird Bun and Spicy Neighborhood Bird Bun, Tofu Bun, Crispy Tofu Nuggets, and Ramen Broccoli. Moving to a new concession stand located near Section 49.
• Attman’s Deli – Serving its famous deli sandwiches at a full stand this season. The menu includes Hot Corned Beef, Pastrami, Oven-Roasted Turkey, and the popular Cloak & Dagger. Located near Section 53.
• The Nutty Pitch – New this season, serving fresh-glazed and roasted pecans, almonds, and peanuts, as well as churros. Located near Section 71.
• Pat & Stugg’s – A collaboration between the popular Baltimore-owned hot dog shop, Stuggy’s, and Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, Pat & Stugg’s will serve shaved ribeye cheesesteaks, cheeseburgers, double bacon cheeseburgers, and shaved ribeye dogs. Moving to a new concession stand near Section 72.    
• Pat LaFrieda’s – Meats from Pat LaFrieda will also be available at various locations around the ballpark, including The Butchery on Eutaw Street, and at stands on the Club Level near Section 228 and the Upper Deck near Section 334.
• Stuggy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs – Founded in Baltimore in 2010, Stuggy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs made its Oriole Park debut in 2012. Located near Section 71.   
• Vida Taco – A local farm to taco establishment, fans can once again get Vida Taco at the ballpark. The popular taco stand is located near Section 31 and on Eutaw Street.    
• Boog’s BBQ – The Boog’s BBQ famed rolling smoke will return again. A fan-favorite, the low-roasted beef top round rubbed with Boog’s famous spice blend, smoked in-house to a perfect medium rare, and served atop a corn-dusted Kaiser roll will once again be available at the Boog’s BBQ stand located on Eutaw Street. 
• 7^th Inning Sorbet – Manufactured in Baltimore, the sorbet is a staple in the city and is available for purchase at Oriole Park. Members of Citywide Youth Development will sell the sorbet after completing the organization’s eight-week training program, teaching them how to create and distribute the frozen desert.  
• Factoria Maria Pupuseria – A Salvadoran staple, Maria’s will serve pupusas, quesadillas, and chorizo dogs. Located near Section 46.
• Deddle’s Mini Donuts – The locally-owned food truck and donut shop, which specializes in made-to-order mini donuts, will be available at all Saturday and Sunday home games. Located near Section 68.
• The Local Fry – Fans can purchase four types of gourmet fries at Local Fry stands throughout the ballpark, as well as boneless chicken wings, chicken tenders, and a TLC chicken sandwich at their upper deck location. Located near Sections 27 and 368.   
• Rita’s Italian Ice – Serving its cool, smooth, delightfully happy treats near Sections 10 and 83.
• Squire’s Pizza – Founded in Baltimore in 1920, Squire’s will offer 9-inch personal pepperoni and cheese pizzas near Sections 11, 53, 83, 316, and 360, as well as individual slices on the Club Level. 
• Encore Sausage – Located in Landover, Md., and serving the area since the early 1960’s, fans can now enjoy their Italian sausage, Chesapeake sausage, and bratwurst at ballpark locations near Sections 67 and 334.
• Turkey Hill – Lancaster County, Pa., and regional ice cream favorite Turkey Hill will offer soft serve at locations near Sections 17, 62, 80, 230, 318, and 334, hand-dipped ice cream near Section 230, and pints at Birdland Market locations.
• Camden Commons – Created by Brick & Whistle Food Co. to spotlight local businesses, Camden Commons returns this season. Nine local restaurants will make rotating appearances throughout the season showcasing a variety of cuisines. Several Camden Commons participants from previous seasons now have season-long residences at Camden Yards, including, Attman’s Deli, and The Local Fry. Located by Section 71.
  
• Camden Kitchen Academy – The Baltimore Orioles and Brick & Whistle Food Co. created the Camden Kitchen Academy ahead of the 2024 season as a career readiness training program for those in the Baltimore area interested in pursuing culinary employment. The six-week program provides a select group of participants with instruction, mentorship, and real-world experience. Students learn foundational cooking skills and gain direct exposure to all the work that goes into executing elevated gameday hospitality in the ballpark’s signature dining destinations. Several academy graduates have proudly continued their careers by joining Brick & Whistle full-time at Camden Yards, with others securing positions in nearby Baltimore kitchens.

TICKET OFFERS

The Orioles offer a wide array of ticket deals for fans of all ages to enjoy the magic of Orioles baseball. Returning for this season, some of the options include:  

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Optioned RHP Kyle Gibson to minor league camp.
• Reassigned C Maverick Handley, INF Vimael Machín, INF Emmanuel Rivera, and INF Luis Vázquez to minor league camp.

The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 36 players (33+1 NRI+2 IL).

Due to inclement weather, today’s exhibition game between the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park has been canceled and will not be made up.

Fans with tickets for today’s game may exchange them for a future game with no blackout dates, except for Opening Day. Individuals who received tickets via the Federal Workers offer can make their exchange at the Box Office today or a future date on or before April 30.

Today’s Fan Fest and Verizon Red Carpet at the Nationals Homecoming Gala are still scheduled to take place as planned at The Wharf. Free to attend and open to the public, Fan Fest will begin at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Transit Pier, featuring a City Connect rally towel giveaway, pop-up shop and photo opportunities and displays. Arrivals for the star-studded Verizon Red Carpet will begin at approximately 5:15 p.m. outside of Whitlow’s DC, as players, coaches, mascots and other VIPs make their way to The Anthem for the Nationals Homecoming Gala, the team’s premier off-field event.

Following a career that spans 20 years with the Washington Nationals, more than 40 in Major League Baseball and nearly 50 in the profession, Bob Carpenter is hanging up his microphone. 

Carpenter announced at the start of today’s MASN telecast that 2025 will be his final season as a regular in the broadcast booth.

“This is totally a family decision, and is the most difficult one I’ve ever had to make,” Carpenter said. “These 19 seasons with the Nationals have been the greatest thrill of my career, and I value the lifelong friends I’ve made in D.C. Debbie and I want to thank Ted, Annette, and Mark Lerner, Alan Gottlieb and the entire Nationals family for making this midwestern boy feel very welcome far from home. Thanks to MASN as well, as they have always been professional and respectful to us. But, it’s Nats fans I will miss the most. You have welcomed me into your homes, and I hope I’ve been a worthy visitor. Through good winning championship times and tough losing ones, you have been so wonderful to me, and I will be forever grateful. I truly do hope to ‘See! You! Later!’”

Known for his signature scorebooks – the gold standard across baseball – and recognizable home run call, Carpenter joined MASN as the Nationals’ television play-by-play voice in 2006 after spending 10 years on television and radio with the St. Louis Cardinals and 16 seasons calling MLB on ESPN.

“Bob has become a wonderful friend to all of us and has been a valued member of our team since the very early days of our organization,” said Washington Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner. “He has been the voice of baseball for a generation of fans in Washington, D.C., and we’re certainly going to miss having him around every day. We wish Bob an enjoyable and well-earned retirement with his wife, Debbie, and their children and grandchildren, and look forward to welcoming him back whenever he’d like to pay us a visit.”

WASHINGTON – As it turns out, the window of opportunity wasn’t just ajar for Cade Povich. It was open, and “Slim” took full advantage. 

Povich won the fifth spot in the rotation and earned the right to hit the hill for Baltimore’s home opener. A big step up for the lefty, who began last season at Triple-A Norfolk. 

“First Opening Day roster, being able to start, make a home opener start, that’s a big deal,” manager Brandon Hyde said today in D.C.. “I think Cade’s got a great way about him. He’s very, very mild mannered, he’s very composed. I was really impressed with his maturity last year and how much he grew up, honestly.”

That growth was on full display during Povich’s final month of the season. 

He flipped a switch in his five starts in September. After an 11.81 ERA in July and a 7.36 in August, that number plummeted to a 2.60 to close the baseball calendar. 

The 2025 season will be Bob Carpenter’s final season as the Nationals’ lead play-by-play television announcer.

Carpenter revealed at the start of today’s broadcast of the Nats’ exhibition finale against the Orioles he plans to step down at the end of the season, his 20th with MASN.

“I've got a new deal working for next year as a full-time husband, dad and grandpa,” he said. “My objective is to, all season long, thank you Nats fans for the way you've been to my wife, Debbie, and I and our family over these 19 years previously. Let's make No. 20 a lot of fun.”

Though Carpenter made the official announcement today, it wasn’t a sudden decision.

“This has been on my mind for quite a while,” he said in an interview last week. “And I’ve got to tell you, it’s the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make. Because I feel like I still have my fastball. I don’t feel like I’ve lost it yet. But I’ve seen some guys who stayed too long, and I don’t want to be one of those guys.”

Over the last six weeks, we’ve written a lot of words here about the Nationals. A lot more about some of them than others. It’s just the nature of spring training, where a handful of seemingly important storylines get most of the attention while others get ignored.

But that’s why we write this final piece at the end of camp every year. It’s an opportunity to look back at the last month and a half and question if we might have been paying attention to the wrong things all along.

So without further ado, here’s our annual look back at what storylines we made too big a deal out of, and what storylines we potentially glossed over …

TOO BIG A DEAL: THE FIFTH STARTER
The biggest position battle of the spring was between three young left-handers trying to win the only open spot in the Opening Day rotation. Truth be told, it wasn’t much of a battle. DJ Herz struggled to get his velocity up and ultimately needs more time at Triple-A. Shinnosuke Ogasawara pretty clearly wasn’t big league material yet and needed to be sent to Triple-A as well. So Mitchell Parker won the job not by doing anything special, but just by looking OK. Here’s the thing, though: We’ll probably end up seeing all of them in the majors at some point this season. And we could see other starters as well: Brad Lord, Tyler Stuart, Andry Lara. Oh, yeah, there’s also Cade Cavalli, who could be ready by June or so. Point is, it doesn’t really matter who the fifth starter is in April. It’ll probably be someone else come September.

GLOSSED OVER: IMPROVED DEFENSE
Most of the attention given to the newcomers to the Nationals lineup centered on their offensive prowess (or lack thereof). But the biggest improvement might actually be in the field. Nathaniel Lowe is a Gold Glove first baseman who will make everyone around him better. Paul DeJong looked spectacular at third base and will be a massive defensive upgrade over last year’s consortium at the hot corner. Dylan Crews isn’t a newcomer, but a full season of him in right field could be special. And we already know Jacob Young is outstanding in center field. If the middle infielders and catcher can just be average, the Nats could have their first really good defensive team in a while.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals broke camp this afternoon and left for Palm Beach International Airport. They’ll arrive in Washington this evening having spent the last six weeks evaluating a roster they believe is much improved from a year ago, but one that’s still not 100 percent settled.

Manager Davey Martinez said the team won’t make its final cuts until after Monday’s exhibition finale against the Orioles at Nationals Park, leaving the fates of a number of players on the bubble up in the air for another 24 hours.

“This is tough,” Martinez said following an 8-5 loss to the Astros in the Grapefruit League finale. “It really is.”

The Nats settled their fifth starter competition Friday, optioning DJ Herz and Shinnosuke Ogasawara to Triple-A Rochester to leave the spot for Mitchell Parker. But they’ve still got four more roster spots to figure out: backup catcher, 26th man on the bench and two bullpen jobs.

The bullpen situation is the most complicated, because of several moving parts. Derek Law, projected all along to make the team, now appears likely to open the season on the 15-day injured list because his arm hasn’t recovered well enough from the couple of times he’s faced live hitters in the last week-plus.

O.A.R. Original Song “Our Diamond, Our District” Pays Homage
to the Nationals’ Place in the Fabric of Our City

Washington, D.C., is a city made by the people, for the people. Our city’s historic monuments are for everyone. But these streets are our streets. This is our District.

The new Washington Nationals City Connect uniforms, unveiled today with help from Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman, are an homage to the quadrants, grand avenues and even the traffic circles that connect us. More than just pathways through our nation’s capital, these are the streets that bring us home, and we are proud to wear those streets on our hearts. This is the District Blueprint.

“This season marks our 20^th Anniversary, and my family and I are so proud of how this team has become woven into the fabric of our city,” said Washington Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner. “These uniforms are a great representation of how baseball has the power to bring us all together, and we are continually honored to play for the people of Washington, D.C.”

The cap and jersey patch both feature a new stylized block W, which surrounds the outline of the Capitol Dome. The W is flanked on either side by the District’s iconic cherry blossoms. On the patch, the W sits on a tile background, reminiscent of some of the city’s most recognizable architectural features like the Capitol rotunda, Library of Congress and brutalist Metro stations. The interlocking DC on the chest, which was worn by the Nationals from 2006-10, receives a 3D treatment in a nod to the 1956 Washington Senators logo. A mosaic detail trims the white pants, representing the diverse makeup of Washington, D.C., and how its residents come together to form a work of art. Visit nats.com/CityConnect for more details and information.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• Optioned OF Dylan Carlson to minor league camp.

The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 41 players (34+6 NRI+1 IL).

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The day has arrived at last. It’s the Grapefruit League finale. (Er, actually, finales, because there’s a split-squad game as well, though hardly any major leaguers will be there for that one.)

The Nationals and Astros square off one more time at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, a final tune-up before heading north. There’s still another exhibition game to play Monday in D.C. against the Orioles, but this will be it for the Florida portion of the spring.

With that in mind, Davey Martinez has a potential Opening Day lineup out there. The only twist: Nathaniel Lowe is dropped to the sixth spot, with Luis García Jr. moved up to the fifth spot. Could we see that alignment Thursday against Zack Wheeler? We’ll have to wait and see.

Trevor Williams gets the ball for his final tune-up before the season begins. The right-hander has felt good all spring and should be good for five-plus innings today.

Meanwhile in Jupiter, it’ll be Alex Call, José Tena, Juan Yepez and Riley Adams joining a bunch of guys from minor league camp to face the Cardinals in the other game at 1:05 p.m.

Jordan Lyles did exactly what the Orioles needed him to do in 2022. 

Lyles was an innings eater. He posted every fifth day, making 32 starts and tossing 179.0 innings, averaging close to six innings per outing. The 31-year-old was the only member of Baltimore’s pitching staff to make at least 25 starts, and provided incredibly valuable stability at the top of the rotation. 

Baltimore won 83 games that year, a shocking 31-win improvement from the previous season. Lyles’ consistency and veteran presence played a big part in that turnaround. 

In 2023, Kyle Gibson was tasked with much of the same. Post every fifth day, eat innings and give the bullpen some breathing room. He delivered exactly that. 

Gibson was tied for the American League lead in starts with 33 and tossed 192.0 innings, 12th most in the bigs. He completed five innings of work in 28 of his 33 outings. 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Colin Poche has made the Nationals’ Opening Day bullpen, the club purchased the left-hander’s contract this morning to officially put him on the club.

Poche signed a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp in early February, but given his track record, he always looked like a safe bet to make the team.

The 31-year-old has 225 games of major league experience, all with the Rays, and last season delivered a 3.86 ERA and 1.152 WHIP in 43 appearances. He was a 12-game winner with a 2.23 ERA in 66 games (all out of the bullpen) in 2023.

With Jose A. Ferrer the only other left-hander in the Nats bullpen, Poche was in good position all along to head north with the team, provided good health. His spring got off to a rough start when he surrendered three runs on four hits and two walks Feb. 25 against the Marlins, but he rebounded after that. In four appearances since, he has allowed just one run on two hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Poche joins Ferrer, closer Kyle Finnegan and right-handers Jorge Lopez, Derek Law and Lucas Sims to fill out six of the eight slots in the Nationals bullpen. The final two remain up for grabs this weekend, with two traditional relievers and two young starters in the mix.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – As the Mets kept fouling off everything MacKenzie Gore was throwing at them, driving up his pitch count and limiting him to only three innings in his spring training finale, you could only imagine the Nationals left-hander’s frustration mounting.

Then mention it to Gore, inform him of the gargantuan foul ball tally (24 of the 74 total pitches he threw) and watch his eyes actually light up.

“That’s probably a good thing, really,” he said. “Because I think everyone was kind of aware what was going on. I’m not going to get too caught up in location, trying to be perfect. I was going at them with heaters, and we did get a lot of foul balls, which is good. I thought it was good.”

What exactly was going on today during the Nats’ 5-5 exhibition tie at Clover Park? Gore, confident he was already ready for Opening Day and cognizant he’ll be facing the Mets plenty of times this season, opted to keep his pitching plan as basic as could be. He threw 47 fastballs, compared to only 13 curveballs, 12 changeups and two sliders.

If this game counted, he never would’ve done that, deploying much more deception in an attempt to induce way more than eight total whiffs from New York’s batters.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – It’s the penultimate day of spring training, which is really just an excuse to use the word penultimate. The Nationals finalized their Opening Day rotation and narrowed down the list of remaining candidates for backup catcher and 26th man on the bench Friday, but there are still a few more things to do. Chief among them: Finalize the bullpen, which for now still has 10 candidates for eight spots.

Today sees the Nats head north to face the Mets for the final road game of the spring. And it sees MacKenzie Gore take the mound for his final tune-up before his first career Opening Day start five days from now against the Phillies. Gore reached the 90-pitch mark in his last outing, and the plan actually is to dial him back today, conserving pitches and energy for the regular season.

Today’s lineup has some different looks. James Wood will lead off, with CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews staying back in West Palm Beach. Paul DeJong will play shortstop for the first time this spring, just a chance to remind him how things look at that position in case he’s needed there in an emergency during the season. And the two guys battling for the last spot on the bench (José Tena, Juan Yepez) are both starting, hoping to do something big that could lock up the job.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Clover Park, Port St. Lucie
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MLB.tv (Mets’ feed)
Radio: None
Weather: Sunny, 73 degrees, wind 5 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
DH Amed Rosario
2B Luis García Jr.
SS Paul DeJong
C Keibert Ruiz
RF Alex Call
1B Juan Yepez
3B José Tena
CF Jacob Young