Harper homers on first swing of spring (Nats win 8-6)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP

Score: Nationals 8, Mets 6

Recap: The Nationals brought their bats up the road to Port St. Lucie, pouncing on the Mets pitching staff with an impressive display of power. Bryce Harper got things started with a two-run homer to deep right-center on his first swing of the spring. Neftali Soto, Andrew Stevenson and Matt Skole also homered later in the game. Gio González was sharp through his one-inning start, then watched as a parade of relievers delivered effective work behind him.

Need to know: Joe Nathan's fastball topped out at 92 mph, an encouraging sign for the 42-year-old who is trying to come back from the second Tommy John surgery of his career. ... Trea Turner's very first defensive chance at shortstop resulted in a high throw to first base and an error on the former center fielder.

On deck: Sunday vs. Twins in Fort Myers, 1:05 p.m.

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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - If Bryce Harper wanted to show everyone he's ready to turn the page on a disappointing 2016 season, he opened his 2017 campaign with a resounding statement.

Harper launched a towering home run on the first swing he has taken in game action this spring, taking Mets left-hander Sean Gilmartin way deep to right-center to spark the Nationals in today's Grapefruit League opener. Two innings later, he lined an opposite-field single on the first pitch he saw from right-hander Logan Taylor.

Yes, that's three pitches seen this spring, two swings, two hits, five total bases.

Harper pounced on Gilmartin's 0-1 fastball in the top of the second and sent it soaring, the ball landing near the top of the grassy berm that sits behind the right field fence at First Data Field as the crowd let out a gasp. No official distance was announced, but it appeared to travel 420-to-430 feet.

Even if it doesn't count, the home run was an emphatic way for Harper to open a year in which he hopes to make last season's struggles the anomaly in his career. After winning the National League MVP in a unanimous vote in 2015, Harper regressed in 2016, batting just .243 with 24 homers and an .814 OPS.

Harper also is suspected to have been playing through an injury to his right shoulder or neck. He never admitted the ailment, but those who watched his swing noticed a difference, particularly his inability to drive pitches up and out over the plate. He also struggled in particular against lefties, batting just .226.

So while it's inappropriate to read too much into one swing in late February, the fact Harper did damage today off a left-hander and then managed to drive a base hit to left field should not be totally ignored.

His second hit fell into the latter category, a well-struck line drive that Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes couldn't reach while running toward the foul line.

Gio González, meanwhile, cruised through his one-inning spring debut with relative ease, needing only 14 pitches (nine strikes) to post a zero on the scoreboard.

González, who was scheduled to throw either the one frame or 25 pitches, saw shortstop Trea Turner throw high to first base on his first fielding chance of the spring. But the left-hander battled back to strike out Curtis Granderson on a nasty curveball and induced weak contact out of both Cespedes and David Wright.

Update: The Nats brought out their big bats for today's opener. They've hit four home runs in six innings and now lead 7-0. Neftali Feliz crushed a two-run homer off lefty Jerry Blevins in the top of the fifth. Prospects Andrew Stevenson and Matt Skole then went back-to-back in the top of the sixth to extend the lead.

There was a scary moment earlier in the sixth, when Rafael Bautista collided with Kevin Plawecki at the plate and left the Mets catcher in serious pain. Bautista's left shoulder appeared to strike Plawecki's left knee, causing it to hyperextended for a brief moment. Plawecki stayed down for several minutes before carefully walking off the field with the aid of trainers.

The Nats have been getting strong relief work all afternoon. Trevor Gott, Joe Nathan, Oliver Perez and Matt Albers each tossed a scoreless inning, with Nathan in particular looking sharp. The 42-year-old threw six of his eight pitches for strikes and hit 92 mph on the stadium radar gun.

Update II: The Nats bullpen has given the Mets life. Relievers Austin Adams and Derek Eitel combined to issue six walks in the bottom of the eighth, three of them with the bases loaded. A couple innings earlier, New York plated a run off veteran Jeremy Guthrie. So we head to the ninth with the Nats' lead down to 7-4.