Nats Game Day – vs. Phillies, 5/31/11

What – Game #54

Where – Nationals Park

When – 7:05 p.m.

TV – MASN HD

Radio – WJFK-106.7 FM; WFED-1500 AM

No rest for the weary. The Nats have lost three in a row and 13 of 17 games and get Phillies starter Cliff Lee (4-4, 3.50) one day after they actually fared well against ace Roy Halladay. Beat Lee and they’ll still have to deal with Roy Oswalt (3-2, 2.60) on Wednesday afternoon. Jason Marquis (5-2, 4.26) gets the start for Washington.

“If you’re playing the Nationals last year I guarantee you there was ballclubs checking three, four, five days ahead of time and saying ‘I hope we miss [Stephen Strasburg]’,” Nats manager Jim Riggleman said. “There’s nobody to miss with Philadelphia. When you play Philadelphia you know you’re going to get a real quality starter. So it’s just a matter of going out there and beating them and competing. And our guys have competed well.”

Ryan Zimmerman, meanwhile, is making progress at extended spring training in Viera, Fla. He is still recovering from abdominal surgery earlier this month, but according to Riggleman, was expected to play in some inter-squad games this week – maybe as soon as today. The only worry right now is Zimmerman is still “a little uncomfortable” when making throws. That appears to be improving every day, however.  

The Nats also announced Tuesday that their May 17 game against the Pirates – you may remember it as the rain out where it never rained – has been rescheduled as part of a traditional, single-admission doubleheader on Sat. July 2. The first game starts at 3:35 p.m. and the second about 7:05 p.m. The team says season tickets and individual tickets for that postponed May 17 game can be exchanged at the Nationals Park box office for seats of equal or lesser value or for tickets to any remaining home game in 2011. All tickets for the originally scheduled July 2 night game are good for both contests. The second game of the doubleheader will feature a post-game fireworks show as part of the July 4 holiday weekend celebration.

Here are tonight’s lineups: 

Phillies:

Rollins – SS

Polanco – 3B

Utley – 2B

Howard – 1B

Ibanez – LF

Ruiz – C

Brown – RF

Mayberry – CF

Lee – P

Nationals:

Bernadina – CF

Desmond – SS

Werth – RF

Morse – 1B

Espinosa – 2B

Rodriguez – C

Hairston – 3B

Bixler – LF

Marquis – P

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