Nationals Face Off Against Arizona Diamondbacks with Mark Zuckerman Reporting on Lineups

The Washington Nationals are back home to face the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Mark Zuckerman reporting on the lineups for the game. The Nationals need to get their lineup clicking early, having scored only two runs in the first three innings of six games to date. They'll try to make it happen tonight against right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, who they did beat last summer with three runs over 6 1/3 innings. * The Nationals' lineup includes CJ Abrams, James Wood, Keibert Ruiz, Nathaniel Lowe, Luis García Jr., Josh Bell, Dylan Crews, José Tena, and Jacob Young. * The Diamondbacks' lineup features Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Pavin Smith, Josh Naylor, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Eugenio Suárez, Gabriel Moreno, Jake McCarthy, and Geraldo Perdomo. The game will be played at Nationals Park, with a start time of 6:45 p.m. EDT, and will be broadcast on MASN2 and MLB.tv. The weather forecast calls for cloudy skies, with a temperature of 69 degrees and a wind of 7 mph in from center field. Mark Zuckerman notes that the Nationals have a young and exciting core of players who are trying to figure things out at the Big League level, while the Diamondbacks are playing far better baseball, splitting with the Cubs and taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees. The Diamondbacks are led by third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who has five homers, including a grand slam that beat the Yankees on Tuesday. * The Nationals have scored 21 runs, which ranks 23rd in the majors, while the Diamondbacks have scored 45 runs, which is tied for third. * The Diamondbacks have won seven of their past eight games at Nationals Park, and are 14-5 against the Nationals since 2022. Jake Irvin will get the ball for the Nationals, on the heels of a good-not-great season debut, while Brandon Pfaadt will make his second start of the season for the Diamondbacks. Pfaadt has faced the Nationals once, on June 19, 2024, and gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings while taking a 3-1 loss. The game promises to be an exciting matchup between two teams with different strengths and weaknesses, with the Nationals looking to turn their season around and the Diamondbacks seeking to continue their strong play. With Mark Zuckerman providing expert analysis and insights on the lineups, fans can expect a thrilling game with plenty of action and drama.