WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Found within the many fruitful swings produced during Wednesday’s three-touchdown rout of the Nationals were three cuts that left under-pressure shortstop Paul DeJong grinning big.
Down 0-2 in his first at-bat against Nationals starter Anibal Sanchez, DeJong pushed a single to right field to send Paul Goldschmidt home from third.
Facing Austin Voth in the second inning, DeJong smashed a hanging breaking ball over the left-center field wall for a two-run homer, depositing the ball in the shade of a palm tree.
Back in the box against Sanchez in the fourth – the struggling starter returned for more work; hey, it’s spring training – DeJong scorched a fastball down the left-field line for an RBI double.