How many different line-ups has Matt Williams had to pencil in and scratch through in this injury crazed season? I’m actually feeling sorry for this guy as I thought he was about to shed a tear in his post-game presser. Matt Williams sure has his shortcomings, but he got only 2 chances this season to play his January 14th projected line-up this season which we saw debuted on August 25th.
Tonight in the 1st game of this late August series against the Miami Marlins, MW will send Max Scherzer on several days of extra rest to the mound against lefty Adam Conley. Conley was drafted by the Marlins in the 2nd round of the 2011 amateur draft. He was called up in June for the bullpen and now has started 4 games with mixed results. He’s a 4-seam fastball pitcher which he throws as his main pitch and works in changeups as his second most used pitch and then an occasional slider. His fastball sits around 91 but he has a reachback fastball that will amp up to 95mph. His changeup is very hittable and that averages 84mph.
The #Nats have recalled OF Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Syracuse and placed CF Denard Span on the 15-day DL with left hip inflammation.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 28, 2015
Lineup guess:
- Jayson Werth
LF - Anthony Rendon 3B
- Bryce Harper
RF - Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Ian Desmond SS
- Wilson Ramos C
- Danny Espinosa
2B Matt den Dekker CF- Max Scherzer P
I should have listened to Ghost as he tweeted this before the lineups were announced:
@aNatsFan @TheNatidude I'm wondering the same. Could be Espi in LF vs the lefty pitcher with Trea at 2nd and den Dekker on the bench. No MAT
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) August 28, 2015
Here’s the correct lineup:
- Werth RF
- Rendon 3B
- Harper CF
- RZim 1B
- Desmond SS
- Espinosa LF
- Ramos C
- T. Turner 2B
- Scherzer P
Bench availability is Matt den Dekker, Clint Robinson, Jose Lobaton. Michael A. Taylor has personally declared himself available off the bench which is wonderful news. No news yet on Yunel Escobar. The good news is den Dekker could play LF and Espinosa shift back to the infield if an extra infielder was needed.
H/T to Ghost for his vision months ago that Espinosa could start in LF and that he could be the “Full Zobrist”. You had to be there to know what that means……….
#Nats vs. #Marlins: Werth RF, Rendon 3B, Harper CF, Zim 1B, Desmond SS, Espinosa LF, Ramos C, Turner 2B, Scherzer P pic.twitter.com/vUPYaN39JB
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 28, 2015
