WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- For the 14 innings Zach Davies pitched in Spring Training, the right-hander hopes he left a bigger impression than his final frame in Florida.

Davies, competing with fellow righty Trevor Williams for the fifth spot in the Nationals¡¯ starting rotation, allowed nine runs off 10 hits with two walks and four strikeouts across 3 2/3 innings in a 13-4 loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday. This included a grand slam to Dylan Carlson in a seven-run fourth inning.

¡°I was extremely pleased with everything except for the last inning that I pitched,¡± Davies, who is in camp on a Minor League deal, said. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate being in this position. Your last start of spring, you don¡¯t really have any more chances to show them what you have. All I can do is be prepared for whatever¡¯s next.¡±

With a handful of games left in Grapefruit League action and an exhibition game at Nationals Park on Tuesday, the Nats fifth starter is far from finalized. Davies and Williams are vying for the final job to join Josiah Gray, Patrick Corbin, MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin in the rotation. Williams, who made 30 starts for Washington in his first season of a two-year deal, is slated to take the mound Thursday afternoon against the Twins.

¡°[Davies] was around the plate, but not attacking the zone,¡± manager Dave Martinez said. ¡°He didn¡¯t make those adjustments that he normally makes, and then everything was kind of up in the zone when he usually keeps everything down low in the zone. It was just one of those days. It¡¯s really hard to judge a guy like him on one outing, and I¡¯m not going to do it. We¡¯ve got some tough decisions to make. He¡¯s a professional.¡±

Davies, 31, was designated for assignment and released by the D-backs on Sept. 29 following an injury-hampered season and inked a Minors deal with the Nats on Feb. 17. He is 60-58 with a 4.36 ERA in 200 career starts over nine Major League seasons.

¡°[I want the Nationals to take away me] just being healthy, seeing that I worked hard in the offseason to get back to the position of being a Major League pitcher, knowing that injuries are behind me and I can be valuable if they want me to be,¡± he said.

Davies pitched to a 4.35 ERA over his first three starts in spring. He considers himself a different pitcher than he has been in the past with an improved strike percentage (.750 this spring compared to .670 in the spring of ¡®23 and .710 in his career in the spring).

Martinez lauded Davies for being an intense competitor who exudes a demeanor described as, ¡°He really has no heartbeat. ¡­ Everything¡¯s the same, every pitch.¡± Martinez also gave kudos for Davies¡¯ effectiveness without a dominating velocity.

¡°Some of our younger guys should take note: This guy throws 86, 87 miles an hour. Every now and then, it will get up to 89,¡± Martinez said. ¡°¡­ He doesn¡¯t throw hard, but he understands how he has to pitch. He uses all four quadrants, he mixes his pitches, he doesn¡¯t give up, and it¡¯s fun to watch him pitch.¡±

If the Nationals would like to get another look at Davies in game action, there is the scenario in which he could pitch in the exhibition contest Tuesday, two days before Opening Day in Cincinnati.

¡°Hopefully, one inning in their eyes isn¡¯t enough to say, ¡®No, you¡¯re not part of this team,¡¯¡± Davies said. ¡°But at the same time, that¡¯s their decision, that¡¯s their team and that¡¯s baseball, that¡¯s the way the cards will fall, and you have to accept it and just be there until you¡¯re not."