LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Xavier Paul hit a two-run single in the top of the eighth inning, lifting a Washington Nationals split squad to a 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night.
All-Star Tyler Clippard pitched two scoreless innings to get the win for the Nationals.
The Tigers took a 3-0 lead when Brennan Boesch hit his sixth homer of the spring in the third inning, but Washington tied it in the sixth.
Max Scherzer went 5 1-3 innings for the Tigers, allowing 10 hits and three runs.
Steve Lombardozzi and Tim Pahuta had three hits each for the Nationals. Andy Dirks lifted his spring average to .422 with two hits for the Tigers.
Before the game, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that the club optioned Andy Oliver to Triple-A Toledo. Oliver was a candidate for the No. 5 sport in the Tigers’ rotation.
