Rainy weather washed out the Saturday game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals, but that only set up one of baseball's most popular spectacles on Sunday at Nationals Park: the doubleheader.
In game one, the Nationals send out gritty, veteran right-hander Jason Marquis (0-0, 3.65 ERA), who is looking for his first win of 2011, to face Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo (1-0, 2.70 ERA). Marquis has lasted six innings in each of the first two games he has pitched already this season, but has figured in a no decision both games. He has pitched masterfully and seems to have put 2010, a year that found him going 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA and onto the disabled list thanks to bone chips in his right elbow, behind him.
The Nats will look to use the power surge of catcher Wilson Ramos and the aggressiveness of right fielder Jayson Werth to light the offense on fire during the day. Ramos has hit safely in all but one of the nine games he has started this season, and is hitting a jackhammer .480. Werth used aggressive base running to get home on an Adam LaRoche fielder's choice on Friday night that gave the Nationals the win in the first game of the series in extra-innings, 4-3.
Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan has yet to make an appearance in a game between the two teams this series and is once again held out of the starting lineup for Game 1. Morgan was traded from Washington to Milwaukee at the end of Spring Training.
Nationals Lineup
Danny Espinosa - 2B
Rick Ankiel - CF
Jayson Werth - RF
Adam LaRoche - 1B
Michael Morse - LF
Ian Desmond - SS
Ivan Rodriguez - C
Alex Cora - 3B
Jason Marquis - SP