Nationals 7, Yankees 6

Doug Fister was pleased with his performance at the plate. His focus was on his pitching, which isn't quite up to regular-season level just yet.

Fister hit a two-run single off Chasen Shreve, and Washington rallied to beat New York on Monday.

"I wouldn't call it a big hit, but it got the runs in," Fister said.

Fister allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings, struck out four and walked none.

"We've got a couple weeks left here in spring, I've got my work cut out for me," he said. "It's nothing to be alarmed about, I believe. Giving up a couple of home runs, it's not what I normally do. I definitely left some pitches over the plate. Those guys are good hitters. That's something I need to focus on and be a little better at. I was trying to get the ball down today. It kind of got away from me and stayed up a little bit."

Chris Young homered twice for the Yankees, off Fister and against Casey Janssen, and drove in three runs. Brian McCann hit a two-run home run off Fister.

Yunel Escobar made his spring training debut and went 1 for 2. He made a diving play for a ball in the infield and showed no signs of the strained left oblique that had kept him out of Washington's previous 17 games.

The Yankees' Bryan Mitchell gave up two runs and four hits in 3 1-3 innings, his first big league exhibition start since March 6.

"I feel like I've put a lot of good work in," Mitchell said. "I feel like the results haven't quite shown as well, but I feel like it's just a matter of time before things start clicking again."

Manager Joe Girardi said outfield prospect Jose Pirela was feeling better, a day after he sustained a concussion crashing to the center field wall and was hospitalized.

"He's sore," Girarsi said. "I would be sore, too. He'll go back and see our doctors and, obviously, he'll have to do some of those impact tests."

Centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique) hasn't resumed on-field work but still expects to be ready for opening day April 6 against Toronto.

"I still feel good about that timetable," Ellsbury said.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (elbow ligament surgery) could throw batting practice next week and appears to be on target to return by June.

Mets 12, Marlins 3

Mat Latos gave up seven hits in an eight-run second inning, and New York routed Miami.

New York's first eight batters reached base before David Wright grounded into a double play. Daniel Muno tripled in the inning, Anthony Recker and Ruben Tejada doubled. Michael Cuddyer singled leading off the inning and hit a solo homer for an 9-2 lead, his fifth home run of spring training.

Latros allowed nine runs, eight hits and two walks in three innings.

"It's a good thing it happened in spring training," Latos said. "That was borderline embarrassing. We'll see if we can figure it out."

Michael Morse homered twice for Miami, a two-run drive in the first off NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom and a solo shot in the sixth against Buddy Carlyle. Morse has 14 RBIs.

DeGrom gave up four hits in four innings, struck out five and walked one.

"I struggled with keeping the ball down today," he said. "I was up in the zone almost all day."

New York flipped the starts of Dillon Gee and Rafael Montero. Gee will pitch against Houston on Tuesday and Montero versus the Yankees on Wednesday.

Colon, not Harvey, to start Mets' opener at Washington

Bartolo Colon, not Matt Harvey, has been picked to start the New York Mets' opener at Washington on April 6.

Harvey is returning from elbow ligament-replacement surgery that has sidelined him since August 2013. Colon was 15-13 with a 4.09 ERA last year and at 41 will become the oldest opening-day starting pitcher in the major leagues since April 2006, when 43-year-old Jamie Moyer was on the mound for Seattle and 42-year-old Randy Johnson for the New York Yankees.

"It's just one start," Mets manager Terry Collins said Monday. "I know it's a big deal to a lot of people. To me it's not. It's one of 32 starts. You go back and look at what Bart did all season long, he earned it."

Collins said he decided not to start Harvey because of the long layoff.

"He is our ace," Collins said. "We know that. He knows it."

Colon will be making his seventh opening-day start after taking the mound for Cleveland (2000-02) and the Angels (2004-06).

He will become the Mets' oldest opening-day starting pitcher at 41 years, 317 days, topping Tom Glavine at 41 years, 7 days in 2007.

NL Rookie of the Year Jacob DeGrom is slated to start the second game and Harvey the third. DeGrom lines up to start the home opener against Philadelphia on April 13. "I thought Jake deserved it," Collins said. "I thought he deserved the chance to pitch a big game."