Astros score in ninth as Morton solid in start

March 18th, 2017

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- singled home a run in the ninth inning to catapult the Astros to a 5-4 victory over the Nationals on Saturday at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. It was the first run of the spring surrendered by , the Nats' dynamic young reliever who had not allowed a run in his first six innings while striking out 10.
Both teams had their share of defensive miscues throughout the game.
Houston made three errors on a third-inning single from , which ended up as a two-run, Little League home run. Turner singled to right field, moving to third base. But overthrew third baseman , who made an errant throw to the plate, which was being backed up by the pitcher Charlie Morton, who also threw the ball away to allow Turner to come around to score.
Morton was effective despite the errors, including a stretch where he struck out five consecutive Nationals hitters, to make up most of his seven punchouts in four innings of two-run ball.
"I felt good out there today, the arm felt good, I thought I mixed in some good pitches," said Morton, who made his fourth Grapefruit League start and is attempting to come back after missing nearly all of last season with surgery to his left hamstring.
Right-hander Joe Ross worked through some tough luck all day as the Nationals made a pair of errors behind him. He gave up four runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings on 76 pitches with three strikeouts and a walk. But a positive sign was the life and command of his changeup, the third pitch in his arsenal Ross is trying to develop and throw more frequently.
"It felt really good today," Ross said. "I threw a good amount, especially in the third and fourth inning. A lot more consistent today, especially later in the game. But it felt good. It felt like I wasn't forcing it."
Nats infielder tied the game with a solo home run in the seventh inning off .
Astros second baseman Tyler White left the game after being hit on the right hand from a pitch by Ross. White is day-to-day, according to manager A.J. Hinch.
Astros Up Next: Right-hander gets the start for a 12:05 p.m. CT Sunday game with the Yankees at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. He will be opposed by Yankees' right-hander . The game can be seen on MLB.TV.
Nationals Up Next: will continue his experiment with pitching exclusively from the stretch when the Nationals face the Marlins at 1:05 p.m. ET Sunday at Roger Dean Stadium. This will mark his fourth Grapefruit League start of the season for Strasburg, who has nine strikeouts in eight innings.
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