'Vintage' Keuchel keeps rolling in start vs. Nats

Hinch on rotation WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- By nearly every indication, Dallas Keuchel is prepared for the 2018 regular season to begin. Thursday's 12-3 victory over the Nationals was just the latest sign the left-hander is ready.

Keuchel, facing several of the Nationals' regulars, cruised through five scoreless innings to lower his spring ERA to 1.74. He scattered four hits and a walk while striking out two, but it was his ability to limit hard contact that had Astros manager A.J. Hinch referring to what he saw as "vintage Dallas."

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"Dallas was really good," Hinch said. "He could locate today pretty effectively. I liked how he could sequence his pitches a little bit…