Good vs. Bad and lineups

Let’s get some bad news out of the way:

1.      It’s looking pretty cloudy outside.

2.      It’s looking pretty cloudy outside.

Thankfully the good news outweighs the bad here in Nationals Park today:

1.       The Nationals won, 5-1, last night.

2.      Adam Dunn hit a pair of homers and drove in three runs in yesterday’s game.

3.      The Nationals can clinch a winning homestand with a win either today or tomorrow. 

Now for the lineups.

Dodgers (7-9):

1.    Rafael Furcal – SS

2.        Russell Martin – C

3.        Andre Ethier – RF

4.        Matt Kemp – CF

5.    James Loney – 1B

6.    Casey Blake – 3B

7.    Xavier Paul – LF

8.    Blake DeWitt – 2B

9.    Clayton Kershaw – SP (1-0. 3.18 ERA)

* Despite offense being the name of the game for both teams in recent weeks, the Dodgers had only one player, Ronnie Belliard, with multiple hits last night.

* In the Dodger’s 5-1 defeat last night, the club tied a season low with just five hits.

* The Dodgers have lost 10 of their last 16 games in the District of Columbia.

 Nationals (9-8):

1.      Nyjer Morgan – CF

2.      Ian Desmond – SS

3.      Cristian Guzman – 2B

4.      Adam Dunn – 1B

5.      Josh Willingham – LF

6.      Justin Maxwell – RF

7.      Wil Nieves – C

8.      Alberto Gonzalez – 3B

9.   Craig Stammen- SP (1-0. 8.16)

* Washington is 5-3 to date on their 10-game homestand.

* Washington ended its five-game, error-free streak last night with a season-high three errors.

* Ivan Rodriguez enters play this afternoon leading the Majors in batting average…Rodriguez is hitting .423 (22-for-52) with seven doubles and eight RBI to date.