Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond are in the Nationals' lineup this afternoon against the New York Mets after all -- it was reported that they would be taking a "day off" -- as the Washington Nationals have released the starting nine via Twitter. Here's the lineup:
Jayson Werth - RF
Bryce Harper - CF
Ryan Zimmerman - 3B
Adam LaRoche - 1B
Michael Morse - LF
Ian Desmond - SS
Danny Espinosa - 2B
Kurt Suzuki - C
Gio Gonzalez - P
In a rubber match against an NL East Rival, the Nationals have decided to play their best bats in support of Gonzalez, who is one win away from the Major League lead and the Nationals' post-Montreal franchise record. Last night, in a 2-0 loss, the Nationals' bats were rather tepid, a sharp contrast from Friday's 6-4 win which saw a Bryce Harper home run and a Michael Morse grand slam seal the deal for a 6-4 win. The Nats begin a three game home stand against the Atlanta Braves on Monday, so manager Davey Johnson is clearly working to extend his club's lead over the rest of the division.