Spring Training: - Game 11 Game Thread: New York's Hated Mets at Washington Nationals. LIVE BLOG.

Live From Space Coast Stadium, in Viera, Florida, it's the Washington Nationals welcoming the New York Mets for Spring Training action...Here's today's starting lineup for your Washington Nationals...

Game time 1:05 pm EST...Updates to follow throughout the game....

Doghouse - 12:25 pm...There's even an annoying (ph)filly fan yelling about being world champs. Mrs  D is kind of hoping a mets fan beats him up--and they both get thrown out...Church is in today for the mets, but I didn't recognize any other starters for them...

Nick Johnson and Ronnie Belliard warming up...

Doghouse - "I love this lineup..."

Doghouse - "AK, Zim, Lasto, NJ..."

Doghouse - "'He looks thin,' says Mrs D. "Bernadina?" I ask. "Nick!" she corrects. "From this angle.." I mutter (we were behind him).

Doghouse - "Play Ball!"

Doghouse - "'You're A BUM Church!' yells a guy in front of us. 'That's the guy with the concussions!!' elaborates another guy behind us...And the Nationals get a DP ball to get John "Cool Hand" Lannan out of the first...

Doghouse - 1st Inning - "Lasto motored all the way on that triple!!! Full speed out of the box to third! Nick's swing looked real sweet on that single too...(Dukes grounds out to end 1st.)"

Doghouse - 2nd Inning - "Beautiful routine play (on a grounder from Nick Evans) with GUZ fielding deep in the hole with a perfect throw to NJ at 1st! Baseball!!! (Lannan completes a quick second scoreless.) Now Zimmy with a perfect infield drill throw..."Aww, look at Ronnie Belliard running over to cover," admires Mrs. Doghouse. And AK makes a grab on a soft sinkin' liner look easy to end the inning...DC gets two on to start the DC second, but can't cash in. "Unbelievable! Mrs. Doghouse marvels as Lannan gets down a sac bunt on the third try, but Guzman can't cash in...1-0 DC after two.

Here's Church...

Doghouse - 3rd Inning - "An ugly series of errors seems to have 'Cool Hand' Lannan rattled as the Mets move ahead 2-1 in the third...Belliard plays the inning-ending grounder (w/out dropping it first)...Lasto, Zim, NJ, Dukes in DC third...I like those odds..."

Doghouse - 4th Inning - "Wily Mo? What's he doing here?" Mrs. Doghouse inquires sharply, seeing WMP jogging down the sidelines with a bat...Lannan fields a check-swing bouncer for out no. 2, apparently to atone for the disastrous deflection (off his chest) in the third inning...Lannan through the fourth OK, I'd like to check his gb:fb% on this game. It seems like a lit of stuff is in the air. 'Cool Hand' is usually pretty good about keeping it on the ground...Kearns still can't hit inside, but he draws a walk...then VALENTIN! goes yard! (Nieves looks nervous!), 3-2 DC.

Doghouse - 5th Inning - "Shairon Martis on in the 5th..First Pitch Strike!!...Lastings Milledge foes back on a fly ball and snares it like a real CFer...'Those three pitches were the exact same pitches,' marvels Mrs. Doghouse as Martis gets a Met looking, 'It looks fast', it seems to me to be working, "I'd say he's got a good build," Mrs. Doghouse concludes, (as Martis ends a scoreless frame)...DC 5th...Lasto with a nice line drive single to LF...and Zimmy with a nice line drive single to CF...one unearned run deserves another, (4-2 DC on an error on an easy grounder from Nick Johnson, 4-2 DC.)...And Dooks draws the walk to load'em up for Ronnie!!? Belliard sacs in a run, so AK can be the big hero...(So of course, Kearns grounds into a DP, 'sigh'). 5-2 DC after 5...

Elijah Dukes at bat with Nick Johnson at first...

Doghouse - 6th Inning - "Martis with another solid inning, 'I'm really impressed with him," admits Mrs. Doghouse...DC 6th - Hammer on deck to pinch hit...Javier Valentin chugs into second after hooking a grounder just over first...Hammer? (J. Padilla on to run)...'We need a hit!' diagnoses the old timer sitting next to us, '...a walk would make it interesting but it won't help much.' No score in sixth, 5-2 DC.

Doghouse - 7th Inning - "Ledezma out to pitch the seventh...should we be worried?...'He looks tall', says the old timer of Ledezman, "...he needs to calm down," says Mrs. Doghouse as Ledezma throws one almost over the backstop...Appropriately enough, he gets a swinging K with a high heater, and retires the Mets in order...DC 7th - Casto in to run after Zimmy singles, The scrub brush is coming...Nick Johnson's Discerning Eye draws a walk and makes way for Matt Whitney...Dukes looking for many RBI's as a passed ball moves the runners up...Langerhans in for SooperDooks after Dukes bounces one over the third baseman's head. Cintron and Justin Maxwell look to complete the parade of b-teamers...J-Max walks to load them up for (Javy) Herrera...Will the Scrubs post the biggest inning? Mets' starter Bobby Parnell chased...DC puts up two more, 8-2 Nationals after 7 innings...(ed note - missed some runs here...)

LangerHANDS!!!

Doghouse - 8th - (ed. note - "I think Doghouse's phone battery died here...Bobby Brownlie gives up a run, but gets out of the inning, 8-3 DC, middle of eighth...wait...Doghouse is back...")...And our first 'Sweet Caroline' of the season as Brownlie gets hit hard but escapes with only the one run against...The truck driver who wandered up behind us complimented DC's pickup of Adam Dunn, 'Guy's got arms like frickin' Popeye!'...Casto with a seeing-eye single to bring up...uh...(Matt Whitney)...Whitney? Who are these guys?

Doghouse - 9th - Gary Glitte, uh, Glover on to end it...Casto with a 'Belliard' for out #1 (stop, drop and throw)...Kory Casto gets three straight grounders, makes three straight plays! Nationals win. 8-3 final. 'Beat the Mets, Beat the Mets!!'

Doghouse - Post Game - Gotta go catch a plane!! Better pics up later tonight!!! (ed. note - "Thanks, Doghouse! This was a lot of fun....and a nice win!!")

Final score 8-3 DC. "Beat the Mets, Beat the Mets!!"