Wire Taps: Washington Nationals plan to have 5,000 fans in Nationals Park for opener; Max Scherzer starts against Cards again + more...

Wander Suero struck out the side in a 15-pitch, nine-strike inning of work in Monday’s Grapefruit League matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Suero is up to five scoreless innings this spring in which he’s walked one batter and struck out nine.

“I love where he’s at right now,” manager Davey Martinez said after the latest game against the St. Louis Cardinals. “And he’s worked hard, and the biggest thing with him, as you said, is consistency. And we talked to him about that, about being consistent, being consistently in the strike zone. His stuff plays, as we all know. When he’s throwing strikes, the way he is, he’s tough to hit. Today, he threw a 3-2 changeup for a strike three, caught looking, and I thought, that shows me he understands who he is and he understands that he can throw strikes with every pitch.”

“If he can maintain that, he’s going to be a force in that bullpen.”

We were Suero fans when he was playing small clubs and on an indie label. We wrote a zine about him. Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

D.C. to allow Nationals to host 5,000 fans for Opening Day - (NBC Sports Washington)
"The Nationals, whose season opener is set for April 1, will be permitted to admit 5,000 fans for their game against the New York Mets."

D.C. to allow 5,000 fans at Nationals Park for opening day - (Washington Times)
"A crowd of about 5,000 fans will be allowed in when the Nationals open their season April 1 against the visiting New York Mets, according to an update Monday from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser."

Scherzer Stories:

Max Scherzer strikes out seven in four innings vs. Cardinals - (MLB.com)
"'There’s still more to accomplish before you’re really in midseason form,' Scherzer said. 'But for mid-March ... your stuff is where you want it.'"

Max Scherzer dazzles in spring training start vs. St. Louis Cardinals - (NBC Sports Washington)
"As he enters his 14th season in the MLB and seventh in Washington, the 36-year-old righty has shown no signs of aging."

Scherzer remains dialed in, dominates Cards again - (MASN)
"With a dominant, four-inning performance today during a 4-2 loss to the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla., Scherzer built off his two previous exhibition starts..."

Other Nats Stories:

Gerardo Parra's potential return to Nationals' roster - (MLB.com)
"The sparkplug of the Nationals’ title team was back in the lineup for the first time since the 2019 World Series on Monday."

Rotation plans hinge on Strasburg and Lester's progress - (MASN)
"The Nationals remain hopeful Stephen Strasburg will be able to make his next start after straining his left calf Sunday but are preparing contingency plans in case he needs more time to heal."

Pandemic alters interactions between veterans and youngsters - (MASN)
"It’s a whole new world, and Martinez has had to adjust on the fly to make sure he can continue the time-honored tradition of seeing veterans share their knowledge with younger players."

Pete Alonso vs. Freddie Freeman vs. Josh Bell: Who’s the best 1B in the NL East? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"[Josh Bell] has a lot to prove playing in a new city and coming off a down year. If he comes through, this list could end up looking very different next season."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Szymborski’s 2021 Bust Candidates: Pitchers - (FanGraphs)
"His velocity was down in 2020, and on a per-pitch basis, his slider was less than half as effective than his career average and even further below where it was in his peak years."

You cannot overhype the Tatis/Soto/Acuña trio - (MLB.com)
"Great as they were, it's been a very long time since you last saw Willie, Mickey or the Duke on the field. Enter today's version: Fernando (Tatis Jr.), Ronald (Acuña Jr.), and Juan (Soto)."

MLB home run leaders: Trout, Tatis primed for big 2021s - (Sports Illustrated)
"I'm going with Juan Soto, who did a pretty good Barry Bonds impersonation for 47 games last year while leading the majors in on-base percentage and slugging percentage."

Washington Nationals may get to play in front of fans this spring - (insidenova.com)
"Starting today, Washington, D.C. is easing some pandemic restrictions and will consider waivers from professional sports teams to play in front of fans."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Touki Toussaint makes adjustments entering new season - (AJC.com)
"Braves pitcher worked diligently in the offseason to correct mechanical inconsistencies. It’s just spring training, but the early returns are promising..."

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf increases attendance limits for Pa. sporting events - (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
"The governor announced Monday that Pennsylvania will be loosening attendance limits at events in early April, allowing 50% capacity at outdoor events and 25% capacity at indoor events..."

This Plate Appearance Has 22 Pitches - (FanGraphs)
"That’s Jordan Hicks on the mound — you know, 'strike one at 104' Jordan Hicks. At the plate is Mets utilityman Luis Guillorme."

Miami Marlins’ Gio Gonzalez plays in simulated game | Miami Herald
Miami Marlins pitcher and Hialeah native Gio Gonzalez threw in a simulated game. Updates on Jorge Guzman, Jesus Sanchez, Dylan Floro and Jordan Holloway.