Major League Baseball

Baker wins in debut, Nationals beat Rays' top young pitcher

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:08 p.m. ET

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PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) Dusty Baker wound up a winner in his debut as Washington's manager when the Nationals roughed up top Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Blake Snell for a 6-2 victory Wednesday.

Baker last managed with Cincinnati in 2013. He made the 3 1/2-hour drive across Florida for the Nationals' exhibition opener.

Scott Sizemore hit a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth inning off Snell. The 23-year-old lefty is rated as Tampa Bay's No. 1 prospect after he led all minor league qualifiers with a 1.41 ERA, the lowest mark for a full-season pitcher since Justin Verlander's 1.29 in 2005.

Snell began last season with Class A Charlotte and also excelled for Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, going 15-4 in a combined 25 starts. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in his one inning against the Nationals.

Sizemore also singled in the seventh. Rafael Martin pitched one scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out two for the win.

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