Nationals allow 29 runs in spring training loss to Cardinals

No, that’s not a typo.

The Washington Nationals on Wednesday lost a spring training game 29-8 to the St. Louis Cardinals. 

While allowing 29 runs in a game — an exhibition or not — is rare, the eighth inning may have been even crazier. The Cardinals scored 15 runs off three different Nationals pitchers in the inning that would never end. 

“Things just got a little bit out of hand,” Washington manager Dave Martinez told the Associated Press. “They had some hits where they had the magic wand today.”

The game started with Nationals veteran starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez allowing 12 hits and 10 runs in four innings.

“I threw like 90 pitches, and I’m still healthy,” Sanchez said. “So that’s a good thing right now. I’m just working on being ahead in the count. I don’t want to be afraid of everything that happened today and try to be around the strike zone.”

Top prospect Cade Cavalli then struggled mightily in his third inning of work in relief, allowing nine runs but recording only one out.

Cavalli, a 23-year-old right-hander who is the Nationals’ top prospect, had pitched well in his previous spring training outings, but ended his day Wednesday with eight hits and 11 runs allowed in 2 1/3 innings.

As reporters did the sort of tip toe toward Cade Cavalli’s locker, typical after a rough outing, he looked up and said: “It doesn’t have to be a morgue over here. I promise. It’s all good.”

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) March 30, 2022

“I went to battle and I lost today,” Cavalli said. “I’m going to keep my head up. I’m going to learn from it, work, and everything’s going to be good.”

Lefty reliever Francisco Perez entered for Cavalli but had similar struggles, giving up six runs and getting only one batter out. Erik Manoah Jr. then relieved Perez to end the merry-go-round.

The Cardinals totaled 26 hits, eight of which went for extra bases.

St. Louis shortstop Paul DeJong led the Cardinals with a 3 for 3 day at the plate with a home run, a double and five RBIs. Outfielder Connor Capel tallied four RBIs, while Alec Burleson and Yadier Molina both drove home three runs apiece. 

Twenty-nine runs would be tied for the second-most runs scored by a team in a regular-season MLB game, had the contest Wednesday afternoon in Florida not been an exhibition. 

Here is a list of MLB games since 1900 with one team scoring 29 or more runs:

1. Aug. 22, 2007 — Rangers 30, Orioles 3
T-2. Sept. 9, 2020 — Braves 29, Marlins 9
T-2. April 23, 1955 — White Sox 29, Kansas City A’s 6
T-2. June 8, 1950 — Red Sox 29, St. Louis Browns 4

This article is based in part on wire service reports.