WEST PALM BEACH, FL - The Washington Nationals fell to the Houston Astros 3-0 in their first Spring Training loss of 2025. Houston's pitching staff stifled the Nationals' offense, while DJ Herz, making his spring debut, encountered difficulties.

Herz's outing was punctuated by a two-run homer from Yainer Diaz following a critical two-out walk. Herz acknowledged the mistake, stating, "Obviously, we don’t want to do the two-out walks...A lot of weird stuff happens when that happens.” Manager Dave Martinez emphasized the importance of those moments, saying, “Yes, it really is. Only because we instill in them that when you get to two outs, get that third out. Don’t let things unravel when you get to two outs, especially like that. Now, if the guy hits the ball, he hits the ball. But to give him a free pass … and what happened after that was a home run. That’s what he’s thinking about, but it all stems to the walk. He doesn’t walk that guy, we’re out of the inning, and it’s nothing-nothing.”

Offensively, key players like Jacob Young, Robert Hassell III, and CJ Abrams struggled to get hits, with Abrams also committing a defensive error. The Nationals left nine baserunners stranded and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

On the pitching side, RHP Jackson Rutledge, after a rocky first start, rebounded with a strong fourth inning, retiring the side with a strikeout and two flyouts. Tyler Stuart delivered an efficient inning, retiring the side in the top of the seventh on just five pitches. Jarlin Susana also had a strong showing, throwing only three pitches in the top of the eighth, retiring the side with three quick ground outs.

Up Next: The Nationals will host the Atlanta Braves at 6:05 p.m. EDT. RHP Jake Irvin is scheduled to start for the Nationals, facing RHP Bryce Elder of the Braves. The game will be broadcast on Gray TV and MLBN (out-of-market-only), and fans can listen on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan Sports Radio Atlanta.