LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Nationals put six runners on board in three innings against Julio Teheran, but he worked out of trouble in each of those innings Thursday night in a 3-2 Braves win at Champion Stadium.
Teheran allowed four hits, one walk, hit a batter and had four strikeouts in three innings of his second spring start, both against the Nationals. The right-hander gave up two two hits and no walks in two scoreless innings Saturday.
“I was getting in a little bit of trouble — just a couple of mistakes, that’s where they got the base hits,” said Teheran, who threw 36 strikes in 53 pitches. “But I felt good. I was commanding. Couple of misses, but I got out of that trouble.”
Todd Cunningham’s bases-loaded bloop hit in the sixth inning drove in the first run of the game, and another scored when Matt Lipka followed by grounding into a bases-loaded double play for a 2-0 lead. The Nationals’ Chris Snyder hit a ninth-inning leadoff homer off non-roster invitee Lay Batista, who allowed three hits and two runs.
The Braves won on Braeden Schlehuber’s two-out RBI single in the ninth inning.
Washington had plenty of chances early, but Teheran made some good pitches when he needed them.
The Nationals got a one-out infield hit in the first inning, and Teheran retired the next two batters on a groundout and strikeout. They had two on with one out in the second after another infield hit and a walk, and Teheran got a strikeout and groundout to get out of that unscathed.
Each of the first three Nationals in the third inning reached base, but one was thrown out by catcher Evan Gattis while trying to steal second base, and Teheran induced an inning-ending double-play grounder after a hit-by-pitch and another infield single.
Teheran said all of his pitches were working and particularly his slider, a pitch he’s used a lot this spring.
“I was just missing some with my fastball when I tried to get ahead in the count,” he said.
