Nationals News: Difo coming out swinging, Zimmermann uses full arsenal
By Pablo Roa
Good afternoon DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! The Nationals finally broke out of their ever-important (but not really) three-game losing streak, beating the Tigers, 9-2. While the victory itself was as meaningless as a Spring Training victory can be, there are plenty of good things to talk about from the game.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses Nationals infield prospect Wilmer Difo, who is off to a dominant start with the bat this spring. As Ladson notes, Difo was a key player in yesterday’s victory, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
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While Difo will not make the Opening Day roster, it’s good to see the young infielder playing well against minor league pitching during Spring Training. Difo is a key part of the Nationals’ future and success this spring is a good sign for what he can accomplish going forward.
Also in today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Jamal Collier discusses right-hander Jordan Zimmermann’s start on Wednesday. As Collier notes, Zimmermann was able to treat yesterday’s start like a regular season game since the Nationals were playing an American League team.
Zimmermann, of course, will be a major part of the Nationals’ rotation this season, so it’s good to see him being able to use his entire arsenal of pitches this early in the spring. Be sure to check out the articles below, they’re definitely worth the read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Nationals Spring Training needs.
Difo coming out of spring gates swinging
VIERA, Fla. — Wilmer Difo was a catalyst in the Nationals’ 9-2 victory over the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon. The second baseman went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and is now 6-for-12 this spring.
Washington scored its first four runs in the first two innings off Tigers left-hander David Price. Difo led off the first with a double and then scored on a double by Zimmerman. Bryce Harper scored the Nats’ second run on a groundout by Wilson Ramos. An inning later, Derrick Robinson scored on a triple by Difo, who was then plated on a double by Ian Desmond. Read full article here.
Zimmermann able to use entire arsenal
VIERA, Fla. — The Nationals are not scheduled to play the Tigers during the regular season, and that gave right-hander Jordan Zimmermann the comfort of treating Wednesday’s game more like a regular-season start. He did not have to worry about revealing too much to opposing hitters before the games begin to matter.
“You definitely want to face a couple of American League teams,” he said. “These guys aren’t going to see us and we’re not going to see them. It’s good not having to hold anything back and just go right after him.” Read full article here