West Palm Beach, Florida — March 4th, 2026 — Nats take care of business against Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team, 5-1

In preparation for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, teams across Major League Baseball are hosting teams in the tournament. The Nats hosted the Venezuelan team on Wednesday night and surprisingly beat them with little to no contest. The Nats capitalized on their few opportunities with runners in scoring position while the Venezuelan team did not. The Nats were 2-4 with RISP, and Venezuela was 0-10. While not surprising, the difference in the game was timely hitting.

The Nats took charge of the game by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. James Wood drew a walk and then stole second base. Luis Garcia Jr. followed with a line drive double to right field to drive in Wood. CJ Abrams, who walked earlier in the inning, advanced to third on the play. Daylen Lile was up next to bat and flew out to left field, which drove in Abrams.

In the bottom of the sixth, Daylen Lile singled with one out in the inning to left field. Brady House drew a walk following a Dylan Crews pop-up to second base. Keibert Ruiz was up next and deposited a baseball over the left field wall for a three-run homer. Ruiz is quietly putting together a quality Spring Training. Ruiz’s home run completed the scoring for the Nats.

Foster Griffin made his debut in a Nationals uniform and was productive, throwing two innings with one strikeout and a walk. The left-hander threw 29 pitches and gave up two hits. Cionel Perez pitched a clean top of the third inning with a strikeout of Ronald Acuna Jr. Clayton Beeter was up next for the Nats in the fourth and was shaky. Beeter threw two walks and two strikeouts, but didn’t give up a run. Richard Lovelady was also out of the zone in the fifth, walking two batters and allowing a run. PJ Poulin, Cole Henry, Paxton Shultz, and Zach Penrod pitched the final four innings for the Nats. It was a group effort for Washington on the mound tonight, but a very productive one against a sharp Venezuelan lineup.

Left-hander PJ Poulin picked off Wilson Contreras at first base with a nice move. Catcher Drew Millas committed a throwing error following a passed ball that allowed the only run to score. While it wasn’t a pretty play, it didn’t cost the Nats the game.

Keibert Ruiz’s three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning put a stamp on the game for the Nationals, extending their lead to 5-1. The homer was likely special for Ruiz, who’s from Venezuela. Keibert likely had some extra motivation playing against his home country. Tonight’s win should be a good experience for Ruiz and the young Nats’ roster.

Player of the Game: Keibert Ruiz(1-3, HR, 3 RBI)

The Washington Nationals host the New York Mets tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 EST at CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Miles Mikolas makes his second appearance of the spring for the Nats, and Justin Hagenman has the ball for New York.