Both the Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks come into Thursday night's game riding their own kind of baseball-related highs. The Diamondbacks are coming off a huge walk-off win against the Florida Marlins and have won 16 of their last 19 games, while the Nationals just got through finishing off their NL East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Thursday night in the desert, these two teams collide for the first time in 2011. The Diamondbacks will send out pitcher Zach Duke (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to bite and paralyze the Nationals' offense, while the Nats counter with their own anti-venom in young right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (2-6, 3.88 ERA).
Thursday's game is game one of an 11-game West Coast trip for the Nats.
Nationals
1. Roger Bernadina, LF
2. Ian Desmond, SS
3. Jayson Werth, RF
4. Michael Morse, 1B
5. Danny Espinosa, 2B
6. Wilson Ramos, C
7. Rick Ankiel, CF
8. Jerry Hairston, 3B
9. Jordan Zimmermann, SP