• A HBP (Willie Harris) and a two-out walk (Chris Duncan) were stranded as the Washington Nationals came up empty in the first inning this afternoon. The Houston Astros got to Nats' lefty Scott Olsen right away in the bottom of the frame with Jason Bourgeois tripling off the center field wall and Jeff Keppinger hanging one up in the air that fell in between Nats' center fielder Nyjer Morgan and right fielder Justin Maxwell for an RBI double and a 1-0 lead.

• Ryan Zimmerman was down 0-2 to Astros' right-hander Bud Norris when he launched his second HR of the Spring over Hunter Pence's head in right to tie the game at 1-1. A walk to Chris Duncan gave Josh Willingham a two-out RBI opp, and the Hammer made good on the chance, doubling to left on the first pitch he saw to score Duncan and give the Nationals a 2-1 lead. 

• Scott Olsen gave up the 1 ER in the first, and 4 hits total in 3.0 innings of work. The 26-year-old left-hander recorded 1 K and ended his day on the mound with the lead. Drew Storen started the fourth on the mound with a three-pitch K of Geoff Blum that ended quickly with an 0-2 slider Blum couldn't hold up on. Storen popped up Pedro Feliz, but the wind caused Nats' first baseman Chris Duncan problems, and it dropped in for a one-out hit. A one-out walk put two on for Houston, but Storen popped up Humberto Quintero and got Edwin Maysonet looking to end the fourth. 15 pitches, 11 strikes for Storen, who walks one, strikes out two and allows 1 "hit" in 1.0 IP. 

• Willie Harris started things up for the Nationals in the fifth with a one-out single and a stolen base with Ryan Zimmerman at bat. Astros' pitcher Jeff Fulchino gave up a line-drive-single to Zimmerman, who took second on a ball in the dirt with Chris Duncan up, and Duncan scored Harris with a single up the middle to make it 3-1 DC. Josh Willingham singles, 4-1 Nationals when Zimmerman scores. Fulchino stops it there, retiring Adam Kennedy to end the Nats' fifth.

• Matt Capps got a groundout from the first batter he faced, Jason "Discreet Charm of the" Bourgeois, but gave up a one-out double to Jeff Keppinger in front on Astros' outfielder Hunter Pence, who popped up over first and got a second chance when Chris Duncan muffed his second pop fly of the day. Pence used the opportunity to walk, and Capps gave up fly ball to center by Carlos Lee which Nyjer Morgan caug...dropped. Carlos Lee's safe. Bases loaded one out, but a fly ball to right that Justin Maxwell snags with a diving play and a ground out by Pedro Feliz give Capps a scoreless inning of work.

• Matt Chico gave up a leadoff walk, single and two-run double to the first three hitters he faced in the top of the sixth, but the Nationals' recovering left-hander got a force at third on a grounder to short by Jason Bourgeois and a DP grounder from Jeff Keppinger to end the sixth with a 5-3 Nationals' lead. After the Nationals threatened but failed to score in the top of the seventh, Chico came out for his second inning of work, going to a full count with Hunter Pence and giving up an infield single that bounced off the mound...and it was all down hill from there...Brandon Barnes doubles to score Pence's pinch runner, 5-4 Nationals. Geoff Blum singles in Barnes. 5-5 tie. Pedro Feliz lines one off Ian Desmond's glove at short, two one, 0 outs. Kevin Cash scores one with a double, 6-5 Astros. Chico ends up allowing 7 hits, 6 R, 5 ER as the Astros take the lead, and another run scores on a passed ball from Luis Atilano, who throws his first pitch in the dirt with runners on second and third to make it 7-5 Houston after seven.

• Justin Maxwell started the eighth with a single off Astros' pitcher Yorman Bazardo, who's injured and out after one batter. Ian Desmond will face Samuel Gervacio. Maxwell steals second, takes third when the throw sails and scores on a wild pitch, 7-6 Astros. Ian Desmond flies out. Jamie Burke strikes out. Roger Bernadina grounds out. 7-6 Houston after Sean Burnett pitches a scoreless bottom of the eighth and the Nationals have 3 outs to get one run or they'll start the Spring 0-9. Willie Harris works a one-out walk and moves to third when Eric Bruntlett doubles. Runners on second and third for Mike Morse. Morse grounds out, but a run scores, 7-7 tie.

• Sean Burnett's back out for the bottom of the ninth, and the left-hander gets Kevin Cash swinging to start the frame and then issues a one-out walk to Humberto Quintero, who takes second on a single by Matt Kata and scores the game-winner on a single to left by Jack Shuck. Nationals now 0-9 in games that don't count.