It is a drastic time for the Washington Nationals and drastic times call for drastic measures as the Nats square off against the Florida Marlins Wednesday night in game two of a three game series at Nationals Park. The Marlins absolutely decimated the Nats on Tuesday night 11-2 and plunked them down into the NL East cellar.
In an effort to get something, anything going manager Davey Johnson held his first closed door team meeting Wednesday afternoon and put out a new line-up that is lacking several starters. Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond, Wilson Ramos and Roger Bernadina all have been given the night off. Johnson is putting the ball into the glove of Livan Hernandez (5-9, 4.04 ERA) to hopefully get Washington back on track as a loss tonight would put a serious damper on the Nationals trying to rise in the NL East standings and team morale. Hernandez has not been highly effective in his past few starts, letting the opposing team score early and putting the Nats in a whole at the start of the game the struggling offense has to dig out of. Opposing the Cuban workhorse on the mound will be Florida's Javier Vazquez (6-9, 5.35 ERA).
Newly acquired outfielder Jonny Gomes will be in Nationals uniform on Wednesday night and will be available off the bench.
First pitch is 7:05 P.M.
Marlins Line-Up
1. Emilio Bonifacio, 3B
2. Omar Infante, 2B
3. greg Dobbs, 1B
4. Hanley Ramirez, SS
5. Logan Morrison, LF
6. Mike Stanton, RF
7. Mike Cameron, CF
8. John Buck, C
9. Javier Vazquez, P
Nationals Line-Up
1. Jerry Hairston, LF
2. Alex Cora, SS
3. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
4. Michael Morse, 1B
5. Laynce Nix, RF
6. Danny Espinosa, 2B
7. Rick Ankiel, CF
8. Jesus Flores, C
9. Livan Hernandez, S