González tosses quick three innings vs. Cards (it's a 1-1 final)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP

SCORE: Nationals 1, Cardinals 1

Recap: Gio Gonzalez cruised through three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk and using two double-play grounders to help him record nine outs on only 29 pitches. Wilmer Difo produced the game's first run thanks to a single, two bases advanced on Lance Lynn's wild pickoff throw and Grant Green's RBI groundout. The Nationals bullpen put up more zeroes to protect the 1-0 lead, with Joe Nathan, Matt Albers, Jimmy Cordero and Trevor Gott tossing one inning a piece. ... Nick Lee yielded a game-tying homer to Patrick Wisdom in the ninth, then left the game with an apparent arm injury.

Need to know: Playing for the second straight day, Ryan Zimmerman went 0-for-2 but reached on a throwing error by third baseman Paul DeJong. ... Victor Robles, the organization's top-ranked prospect, was called up from minor league camp for the day. The 19-year-old outfielder sent a drive to deep left-center that might have cleared the wall if not for a strong wind blowing in at Roger Dean Stadium.

On deck: Sunday, vs. Twins in West Palm Beach, 1:05 p.m.
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JUPITER, Fla. - Gio González only threw one inning in his spring debut last weekend, so he figured to ramp up only to two frames today in his next start.

González, though, was too efficient on the mound. His pitch count stood at a mere 19 after his first two innings, so he returned to pitch the third as well.

By the time he was done, González had put forth a very nice start. He allowed one hit and one walk over three scoreless innings, using two double plays to help his cause and keep his pitch count to only 29 at the end of his outing against the Cardinals.

Given his frequent struggles with inefficiency, González (and the Nationals) had to be pleased with this performance. He worked fast, he threw strikes (18-of-29 pitches) and he didn't let the Cardinals catch so much as a whiff of a potential rally.

Despite issuing a walk to Dexter Fowler to begin the bottom of the first, González quickly induced a 5-4-3 double play out of Yadier Molina. And when Jedd Gyorko singled to center with one out in the bottom of the second, González responded by getting Kolten Wong to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

The left-hander finished his afternoon by retiring the side in the bottom of the third.

The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Wilmer Difo singled to center, advanced all the way to third when Lance Lynn's pickoff throw sailed into foul territory and scored on Grant Green's groundout to short.

Joe Nathan tossed a scoreless inning of relief after Gonzalez departed. The 42-year-old allowed a two-out double by Stephen Piscotty to end the bottom of the fourth.