Major League Baseball

Astros 6, Nationals 5

Published Mar. 11, 2011 4:34 a.m. ET

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Moments after making a costly mistake in right field, Bryce Harper was ready for his next opportunity.

Harper's throwing error in the ninth inning sent a split-squad of Washington Nationals to a 6-5 loss against the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

Harper, the first overall pick in last year's draft, missed a cutoff man after a double by Brian Dopirak. His throw went through the infield, allowing pinch-runner Jimmy Paredes to come home with the winning run.

''I threw it right a little bit and we lost the game, but it happens and we'll just go on to the next one,'' said Harper, who entered the game in the eighth inning. ''I wasn't trying to throw home; I don't have that good of an arm. It was right down by the line, and I threw it a little bit right and it got me.''

The 18-year-old Harper stretched a single into a double in his only at-bat in the eighth inning and made a good running catch in right-center field. He played catcher during his lone season at the College of Southern Nevada but was converted into an outfielder by the Nationals.

Jason Michaels had two more hits for the Astros, including an RBI double, to bring his spring average to .421, all as a designated hitter. He expects to play in the outfield soon.

''I'm anxious to get out there,'' Michaels said. ''It's not good to DH in the National League.''

Michaels' double was the fourth straight hit in a three-run third inning. Two of those hits came off left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, who yielded two earned runs and five hits over 2 1-3 innings in his first start of the spring.

Wandy Rodriguez pitched four innings for Houston, allowing one run and four hits in the best of his three spring outings. The lefty struck out four and walked one.

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