Game 62: Marlins at Nats

Richard Lovelady will open for Miles Mikolas, and Dylan Crews returns to the Nationals lineup after a couple games off

It would be quite a shame if the Nationals wasted all the positive energy they created in beating three contenders by dropping this series to the Marlins. Ergo, it would be nice if they could win tonight and at least give themselves a chance in Wednesday in the rubber game.

This is going to be an unusual pitching matchup, with neither team using a traditional starter in the first inning. The Nats are having Richard Lovelady open for Miles Mikolas, an interesting choice given Lovelady’s struggles in the sixth inning Monday night and the lack of any other traditional matchup lefties to use out of the bullpen later tonight. (Look for Mitchell Parker to hold that role, if it comes to it.) Miami manager Clayton McCullough, by the way, adjusted his lineup to have Heriberto Hernández (who homered off Lovelady on Monday) leading off as tonight’s DH.

The Marlins, meanwhile, are going with a bullpen game, with right-hander Lake Bachar the first man up. Bachar is typically one of their main late-inning arms, with a 1.012 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings. He’ll be tasked with facing James Wood, Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead (and, if anyone gets on, CJ Abrams) in the bottom of the first before McCullough is expected to hand the ball to fellow righty Ryan Gusto as tonight’s bulk reliever.

Dylan Crews is back in the lineup after pinch-running Monday night, his right hand feeling better after getting hit by a pitch. And Mead gets another start against a right-hander, further confirming his status as the everyday third baseman at this point.

MIAMI MARLINS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Mostly clear, 74 degrees, wind 8 mph in from center

MARLINS
DH Heriberto Hernández
SS Otto Lopez
LF Kyle Stowers
2B Xavier Edwards
3B Leo Jiménez
1B Liam Hicks
CF Jacob Marsee
RF Owen Caissie
C Joe Mack

RHP Lake Bachar

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
3B Curtis Mead
SS CJ Abrams
DH Daylen Lile
RF Dylan Crews
2B Jorbit Vivas
C Drew Millas
CF Jacob Young

LHP Richard Lovelady