Game Notes: 

• Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, Florida was the venue for this afternoon's Spring Training game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets. The future Nationals were on display as leadoff hitter Justin Maxwell and infield option Ian Desmond combined to get Washington on the board early. Maxwell took a 2-2 pitch Mets' lefty Oliver Perez thought was strike three and took ball four, then stole second on an 0-1 pitch with Ian Desmond at bat, and scored when Desmond went the other way with a single through second to make it 1-0 DC. Mike Morse got a fastball up high from Oliver Perez and simply demolished it, line drive to left and gone, 3-0 Nats on Morse's two-run blast. 

• Interesting what happens when there's competition in camp, Alberto Gonzalez knows he's battling for a job, the Nationals' infielder goes the other way with a line drive double and then scores on a single up the middle by backup outfield option Willy Taveras, which makes it 4-0 Nationals in the second. 

• After an Ian Desmond to Adam Kennedy double play ended Jason Marquis' first frame, the right-hander started the second with back-to-back walks. Jeff Francoeur got up 3-0 on Marquis, took a strike and then walked the bases loaded, drawing Nationals' pitching coach Steve McCatty out of the dugout for their first mound meeting of the year. An opposite field single by Alex Cora extended Marquis' struggles even further. Omir Santos beat Alberto Gonzalez to the third base line with a high chopper and it went all the way into the corner and got stuck under the outfield wall, which left fielder Willy Taveras tried to point out to the ump while the bases cleared and even the slow-footed Santos came around to score what was improbably, an inside the park grand slam by the Mets' catcher. 5-4 Mets. 

• Oliver Perez got two out in his third inning of work before Pudge Rodriguez hit a two-out single and Kevin Mench doubled him in to tie the game at 5-5. Mench tried to score from second on a single to right by Adam Kennedy, but Jeff Francoeur's throw was spot-on and nailed him, 5-5 score after two-and-a-half...

• For the first time since 2008, Nationals' left-hander Matt Chico returned to the mound in the bottom of the third with a quick 1-2-3 frame against the middle of the Mets' lineup, David Wright, Jason Bay and Danny Murphy. The 26-year-old left-hander's seemingly full-recovered from reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, making 15 starts last season and now in camp with the Nationals competing for a job. A second scoreless inning on the mound in the fourth will no doubt help Chico's cause... 

• Hisanori Takahashi came back out for a second inning of work in the fifth and gave up a leadoff single to Ian Desmond, who snuck a grounder through short. Takahashi's pick attempt at first got away from Danny Murphy allowing Desmond to take third. Elijah Dukes broke his bat firing a liner out to short and Alex Cora tried to cut down Desmond, but threw too softly allowing him back in and giving Dukes first. Takahashi got the next two batters, Mike Morse and Pudge Rodriguez, both swinging, and got a line drive to left from Kevin Mench to complete his second scoreless inning of relief. 

• Matt Capps, whose fastball was sitting around 90mph according to the NY broadcast's gun, issued a one-out walk to Gary Matthews, Jr. in the 5th, popped up Luis Castillo...but then gave up an RBI double to right to David Wright that scored Matthews, Jr. from first to make it 6-5 Mets after five. 

• The Nationals' 2nd '09 1st Round pick Drew Storen started the first batter he faced, Mets' first baseman Danny Murphy with a 92 mph fastball then started the next batter, Jeff Francoeur with an 82 mph slider which was brutal. Both Mets grounded out and Alex Cora did the same as the Nationals' Future Closer retired the side in order in the sixth with his fastball getting up as high as 94mph according to the NY broadcast's gun.

• Ron Villone took over for Storen in the seventh, giving up a hard-hit double to Ike Davis who led off the frame. Davis moved to second on a groundout and then took third on another grounder. Villone walked Gary Matthews, Jr., but then popped up Luis Castillo, who flew to left, Ike Davis faked toward home on the throw in from Kevin Mench, went too far and got caught by Willie Harris who cut the throw and dove on the base runner to make the tag!! You're lucky, Villone. 

• The Nationals had a chance to tie it in the eighth when Willie Harris came up with two on and two out and lined to right, Pete Orr came around third and tried to score on Jeff Francoeur, but the Mets' right fielder fired a bullet home to beat Orr to the plate where he was tagged out to end the frame. 6-5 Mets after seven and a half...

• Jason Bergmann pitched a quick scoreless eighth, freezing Jeff Francoeur with a two-strike slider to get the third out. Pat Misch came back out to end it for New York, giving up a free base when he misplayed a chopper from Chris Duncan. Justin Maxwell lined out to center. Eric Bruntlett pops out, pinch hitter Roger Bernadina K's chasing, Mets win, 6-5 final.