Maybe Jim Riggleman has this lead-off hitter thing under control after all. After initially hinting that 2B Danny Espinosa would replace Ian Desmond as the lead off hitter tonight, the skipper stuck with Desmond in the one spot and has been rewarded with three hits in three plate appearance, and two RBIs from his young shortstop.
Livan Hernandez has shaken off a rough first inning, in which he threw 32 pitches (only eight for strikes), to hold the Marlins scoreless through four frames. Marlins starter Chris Volstad, on the other hand, has labored through out, surrendering four runs on four hits and four walks to the Nats (wrong kind of Fo', fo', fo' homage) while throwing 80 pitches in his four innings of work.
The Nats jumped on the Marlins in the second inning, scoring three runs on two hits, including a sacrifice bunt from Livan. It was only the the second multi-run inning of the season for Washington.