VIERA, Fla. -- Right-hander Rafael Montero was roughed up for four first-inning runs and the New York Mets lost their Grapefruit League opener, 9-4, to the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon at Space Coast Stadium.
Michael Conforto went 2-for-2 in the loss. He scored the Mets’ opening run on by Kevin Plawecki’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly against former Mets farmhand Yusmeiro Petit. Travis Taijeron added an RBI double in a three-run eighth that capped the Mets’ scoring.