By Jake Russell
With Opening Day less than 48 hours away for both clubs, the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox closed out spring training in style by competing in the first ever Naval Academy Baseball Classic in front of a reported 1,030 Naval Academy midshipmen and personnel at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis.
Nationals ace Max Scherzer struck out four batters and allowed six hits and two runs in five innings of work. He finishes spring training with a 2.45 ERA.
Leadoff man Trea Turner scored two runs, one of which came off a Bryce Harper go-ahead double in the fifth inning.
Andrew Benintendi and catcher Christian Vazquez led the Red Sox with two hits each.
Today's game, which ended in a 4-4 tie, marked a rare occasion for an MLB game to be played in such an intimate environment. Midshipmen and players interacted before the game and every yell on the field and scream in the stands can be heard during the game. It's the first of three games the Nationals will host in Annapolis through 2019.
The Nationals and Red Sox begin their seasons at home on Monday, hosting the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.
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