Photo by Steve Mears of Disney’s baseball complex
This will be the Nationals last trip to the Disney baseball complex because after this season the Atlanta Braves will be moving to their new home in Sarasota. When the Nationals were in Viera, the trip to Disney was actually their closest drive about an hour and 20 minutes away. From West Palm Beach, the roundtrip is a 326 mile bus drive, and a lengthy 2 1/2 hours each way from FITTEAM to Champion Field. Today’s starting pitcher for the Nats, Anibal Sanchez, could have asked to pitch on the minors side but instead chose to make the trek to start this game. All players taking the bus is set to leave at 7:00 AM from the FITTEAM complex in West Palm Beach.
The Braves will start their lefty, Max Fried, who has faced the Nats before in this spring. The Nats will send a road crew of mostly volunteer players and a lot of minor leaguers. Sanchez will look to pitch up to 6 innings and 80 pitches in this game.
The Nationals have the rare day-off tomorrow, and have only four more days of baseball including a split-squad game on Sunday.
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves
Stadium: Champion Stadium, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, 700 S Victory Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 34747
1st Pitch: 1:05 pm EDT
TV: N/A
Nats Radio: Radio on Braves broadcast and the MLB App
Line-up subject to change (without notice):
Victor Robles CF
Wilmer Difo 2B
Carter Kieboom SS
Jake Noll 1B
Andrew Stevenson LF
Pedro Severino C
Alec Keller RF
Matt Reynolds 3B
Aníbal Sánchez RHP
