Let’s give this another try, shall we?

After their interleague series opener was rained out Tuesday night, the Nationals and Mariners are now set to play two today. The postponed game will be made up at 6:05 p.m., but first is the originally scheduled 12:05 p.m. matinee.

Both managers stuck with their Tuesday night starters for today’s opener. So it’s Josiah Gray for the Nats, trying to pick up where he left off seven days ago in Philadelphia when he struck out a career-high 11 batters. And it’s Chris Flexen for the Mariners, trying for his ninth consecutive start allowing three or fewer runs.

Davey Martinez’s lineup Tuesday had Luis García in the leadoff spot for the second straight game. García may not necessarily profile as a top-of-the-order hitter over the course of his career, but for now it makes sense to have him get the extra at-bats instead of the struggling César Hernández or Lane Thomas.

SEATTLE MARINERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 12:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 85 degrees, wind 7 mph out to right field

Aníbal Sánchez last took the mound for a major league game Sept. 26, 2020, going 5 1/3 innings to beat the Mets. Since then, he has sat out an entire season, re-signed with the Nationals on a minor league deal, thought he made the Opening Day 2022 roster, proceeded to spend the next 3 1/2 months on the injured list with a neck ailment suffered on the charter flight north from spring training and made four minor league rehab starts.

All of which will lead to the sight of Sánchez taking the mound at Nationals Park on Thursday to face the Braves, his first big league start in nearly 22 months.

“He’s excited about it, and I’m excited for him,” manager Davey Martinez said Tuesday in announcing the decision. “He put himself through a lot to get back.”

Yes, he did. What initially figured to be a minor annoyance, a quick stint on the IL to begin the season, instead turned into an agonizing wait for Sánchez, who at various points along the way thought he was healthy again, only to experience more neck discomfort when he tried to ramp up his throwing program.

At last, though, he’s good to go. The 38-year-old made it through one rehab start at the club’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, then three starts for Triple-A Rochester, and convinced team officials he was ready to come off the IL and finally make his season debut.

With one massive storm cell having already swept through town and more expected later tonight, the Nationals’ series opener against the Mariners was postponed, with a day-night doubleheader now scheduled for Wednesday.

The call was made around 8:15 p.m., some 70 minutes after the originally scheduled first pitch and about 2 hours after the heaviest of the rain fell during a downpour that included intense wind, lightning and thunder.

The postponement might have been made official earlier if not for the fact this is a two-game series between interleague opponents who rarely face each other. With a 12:05 p.m. finale scheduled Wednesday before the Mariners fly to Texas to open a weekend series Thursday night, the notion of waiting it out tonight was intriguing.

But as more rain began to fall after 8 p.m., with more lightning visible and thunder audible, the Nationals announced the postponement and subsequent doubleheader on Wednesday.

The two teams will begin the day with their originally scheduled 12:05 p.m. game, with Josiah Gray (who was supposed to start tonight) getting the ball for the Nationals. Fans who held a ticket to tonight’s postponed game can now use it for Wednesday’s 6:05 p.m. game, with Erick Fedde making the start.

Juan Soto could’ve skipped the Home Run Derby, and nobody would’ve batted an eyelash. He already put on a show last year at Coors Field, and given most sluggers’ reluctance to partake in the annual pre-All-Star Game competition, he would’ve been excused had he said no this time.

Soto, though, embraces the idea of going head-to-head with some of baseball’s best power hitters, especially on this stage. And then when you consider the positive effect last year’s Derby seemed to have on his second half performance, there was no way he was going to decline the invitation for Monday’s big show at Dodger Stadium.

“I mean, for me, it worked last year,” he said with a laugh this afternoon. “You see the second half that I had. I’m just going to try and see how it feels in there, and try to enjoy the show. At the end of the day, it was really good. It was really fun. I enjoyed it a lot, and I’m going to try to do the same thing. Being around all those stars, being a part of it, even if I don’t win I’m going to try to enjoy it as much as I can.”

Soto joins an already impressive field, with back-to-back defending champion Pete Alonso, Ronald Acuña Jr., Kyle Schwarber and Albert Pujols having committed so far, and three more names still to come.

“I would love to see Albert hitting bombs,” Soto said of Pujols, whose first Derby appearance came in 2003 when Soto was 4. “He was amazing when he was in his first Home Run Derby, and I want to see how fun it can be. It might be his last Home Run Derby.”

On the heels of a rough road trip against division contenders, the Nationals return home this week, with another four-game series against the Braves looming before the All-Star break. Before that, though, comes a quick two-game interleague series with the Mariners. It’s the first time these two franchises have met since 2017, only the sixth head-to-head series ever between them. (The Nats will return the favor with a two-game trip to Seattle next month.)

The Mariners, unfortunately, are as hot as any team in baseball right now, riding an eight-game winning streak into this series. They’ve done with excellent pitching, including from tonight’s starter: Chris Flexen, who hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last eight starts. The right-hander shut out the Padres over 6 2/3 innings in his last start July 4, which means he’s had plenty of rest entering tonight’s outing.

Josiah Gray was great in his last start, striking out a career-high 11 in a 3-2 win at the Phillies six days ago. The right-hander will look to pick up where he left off tonight against a Mariners lineup that ranks 11th in the American League in runs and batting average, though seventh in homers and second in walks.

All of this, of course, is contingent upon the weather. The forecast isn’t great, with strong storms expected throughout the region late this afternoon and this evening. Given that this is only a two-game series, with a 12:05 p.m. start Wednesday, you’d think they won’t be so quick to postpone tonight. But as always, we’ll see what Mother Nature (and MLB) has in store.

SEATTLE MARINERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Thunderstorms, 84 degrees, wind 8 mph out to right field

We’ve reached the final week of the first half of the season, the All-Star break looming after that, not to mention the 2022 MLB Draft (which begins Sunday night). And then looming right after that, of course, is the trade deadline.

Three weeks from today, on Aug. 2, the fates of contenders and rebuilding clubs alike will be shaped with a flurry of deals. And though the Nationals don’t figure to be as active as they were one year ago, when they traded away eight players in the span of 24 hours, they almost certainly will be active.

A year ago, general manager Mike Rizzo was still trying to decide if he’d be a buyer or seller at the deadline. The events of a disastrous July made that decision crystal clear by month’s end. This time around, there’s no question if the Nats will be sellers. The only question is how many players will be dealt before the deadline.

Let’s be clear, though, about one key factor here: The Nationals don’t have the two big-time trade chips they did last year. There is no Max Scherzer and there is no Trea Turner for Rizzo to dangle to a contender and receive multiple top prospects in exchange for.

(Sure, Rizzo could theoretically put Juan Soto up for sale and see just how huge the return would be. But there’s been no indication from anyone that’s part of anyone’s plan at the moment. The Nats have given every indication they intend to continue to try to sign Soto long-term. And even if that doesn’t happen yet, he’s under club control another 2 1/2 seasons and is still viewed as the centerpiece of their next contending roster, if the rebuild proceeds as the organization hopes it will.)

As he stood inside the clubhouse at Nationals Park last week, seeing a few unfamiliar but mostly familiar faces, Tres Barrera felt like he was home.

“This is what you work for,” the 27-year-old catcher said. “This is where you want to be.”

Barrera hadn’t been in D.C. yet this season, not necessarily through any fault of his own but rather because of the organization’s increased catching depth acquired over the last calendar year. After spending a large chunk of the summer of 2021 in the big leagues, he was bumped down to Triple-A Rochester following the acquisitions and promotions of Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams, leaving him the third wheel on a roster that only had room for two catchers.

Ruiz is the unquestioned No. 1 guy behind the plate, now and presumably for many years to come. Adams quickly assumed the No. 2 role after his acquisition from the Blue Jays last July. That left Barrera on the outside looking in, even though his performance at the big league level suggested he was worthy of staying.

In 30 games with the Nats last season, 27 of them starts, Barrera hit a solid .264 with an impressive .374 on-base percentage, two homers, 10 RBIs and a .758 OPS. He caught only one of 20 basestealers, but still managed to produce 0.5 WAR (per Baseball-Reference’s formula).

PHILADELPHIA – Joan Adon found himself on the mound pitching another game for the Nationals this afternoon, the struggling rookie with a league-leading 11 losses and an ERA approaching 7.00 pressed into service again when his club needed a fill-in starter.

The assignment, against a tough Phillies lineup, wasn’t advantageous for the young right-hander, but the Nats had little choice but to put him out there and hope for the best.

The end result was rather predictable. Adon labored through four innings and was charged with four runs, sending the Nationals on their way to a lackluster 5-3 loss in the series finale at Citizens Bank Park.

A game that saw Adon struggle on the mound and Juan Soto struggle in the field also saw Luis García depart with an apparent injury. The young shortstop was pulled after the sixth inning, replaced by utility man Ehire Adrianza due to what manager Davey Martinez termed a "stomach issue," even though García could be seen wincing and grabbing his right side after grounding out to second in his final at-bat.

"No, he started feeling real sick," Martinez said.

PHILADELPHIA – It was only 15 pitches, all fastballs, thrown with care off the bullpen mound at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon. But for Sean Doolittle, it was the most significant step yet in his attempted return from a sprained elbow ligament.

And the fact he came out of today’s session feeling strong physically was reason enough for Doolittle to remain optimistic about the rest of his long rehab process.

“The first one, you really just want to come out of it feeling OK,” the Nationals reliever said. “It’s a little bit like spring training. I haven’t thrown off a mound in three months. … I was really happy with how my body was moving. The execution was a little rusty, for sure. But the ball was coming out of my hand good. All around, pretty good.”

Since landing on the injured list in mid-April after only five appearances to begin the season, Doolittle has been waiting to get back to this point again. He knew at the time the partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament could eventually require Tommy John surgery, but his decision to get a platelet-rich plasma injection and then slowly build his arm back up after a requisite period of rest seems to have worked to this point.

There are still several more significant steps for Doolittle to take. He’s scheduled to throw another bullpen session either Sunday or Monday, still sticking with fastballs only, before adding off-speed pitches his next session after that. At some point after that, he’ll be cleared to face live hitters again, then go a minor league rehab assignment.

PHILADELPHIA – On the heels of the best performance of the season from one of their young starters, the Nationals now hand the ball to another young starter for today’s series finale at Citizens Bank Park, hoping Joan Adon can come anywhere close to doing what Josiah Gray did Wednesday night.

Nobody’s expecting that kind of dominance from Adon, but the Nats do expect/hope for some signs of legitimate improvement from the rookie right-hander, who returns after a brief stint at Triple-A Rochester to take the rotation spot that opened up when Jackson Tetreault went on the injured list with a stress fracture of his right scapula.

Adon faced these Phillies in his last big league start, June 17, when he allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings. He did strike out six and only walk one, and club officials were encouraged by much of what they saw, especially the way Adon finished strong by retiring the last seven batters he faced.

The Nats faced Bailey Falter during that same series in D.C., scoring three runs in five innings against the lefty. All three runs came off the bat of Josh Bell, who blasted two homers that evening and will be licking his chops to get another crack at Falter today.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 80 degrees, wind 7 mph in from right field

PHILADELPHIA – The Nationals’ 3-2 win over the Phillies on Wednesday was made possible by Josiah Gray’s six dominant innings (which included a career-high 11 strikeouts). It was made possible by Luis García’s clutch two-run double in the top of the seventh. And it was made possible by the lockdown work of the back end of the bullpen, most notably Tanner Rainey in the bottom of the ninth.

The beleaguered closer entered this game having just suffered through back-to-back ragged outings in D.C., blowing a save by surrendering a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth against the Marlins on Sunday, then taking the loss the following afternoon after serving up a 10th-inning two-run homer.

So when Rainey took the mound Wednesday night, tasked with protecting a one-run lead against a fearsome Phillies lineup, forgive anyone watching for having worst-case-scenario visions creeping into the mind.

No worries, though, because Rainey turned in his best performance in weeks, retiring the side to earn the save.

Things did get off to a shaky start. Rainey issued three straight balls to Darick Hall to open the ninth, forcing both Steve Cishek and Andres Machado to start warming in the Nats bullpen in a hurry. But once he responded with three straight strikes to Hall, the last of which notched his first strikeout of the inning, the right-hander was back on track.

PHILADELPHIA – Whatever happened in the final innings of tonight’s game at Citizens Bank Park, whether the Nationals hung on to beat the Phillies or suffered yet another loss in soul-crushing fashion, they knew they could walk off the field having seen two of their most important young building blocks thrive on a big stage.

What Josiah Gray did on the mound over six dominant innings and Luis García did at the plate in the top of the seventh mattered more in the big picture to this franchise than the outcome of the 84th game of this miserable season.

That the Nationals did proceed to hang on for a 3-2 win behind a strong bullpen performance only sweetened the deal.

In this season of development, Gray’s career-high 11 strikeouts over six innings of two-run ball were reason to celebrate. As was García’s clutch, two-run double to center off Aaron Nola in the top of the seventh, which turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead and represented one of the most significant hits of the 22-year-old’s brief career.

"For us in the clubhouse, specifically, it's a lot of fun to see the younger guys contribute like that," Gray said. "It lets you know that brighter days are obviously ahead. And from the fan perspective, I'm sure they can bank on that was a really fun night of baseball for the young guys to contribute. ... For all of D.C. and Nats fan, I think it was a fun night of baseball."

PHILADELPHIA – Joan Adon will start Thursday’s series finale for the Nationals, rejoining the big league roster to take the rotation spot that recently became vacant with Jackson Tetreault’s injury.

Needing someone to pitch against the Phillies after Tetreault landed on the 15-day injured list with a stress fracture of his right scapula, the Nats opted to go with Adon, who returns after making only one start during his most recent stint at Triple-A Rochester.

The Nationals sent the 23-year-old down after 13 starts to begin the season in the big league rotation, wanting him to work on developing his changeup and improving fastball command. But only one outing later, he was back in D.C. to face the Phillies in one of their June 17 doubleheader games, allowing four runs and seven hits in five innings.

“He was throwing the ball well,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And as you guys remember, came up here and threw the ball well. So we’ll give him an opportunity to start tomorrow.”

The club sent Adon back to Rochester after that start, and he performed well in a June 22 outing against Syracuse, allowing one unearned run with zero walks in five innings. But then came a planned break, which has extended until now.

PHILADELPHIA – The Nationals are going to attempt to win a division game tonight. It’s not something they’ve done very often this season, certainly not recently. Their only win in their last 19 games against a division opponent came June 19, when they beat the Phillies, 9-3, in the finale of a five-game series in D.C.

That game was started by Zach Eflin. Tonight’s game is started by Aaron Nola, who on June 18 shut out the Nats over eight sparkling innings. His opponent that day was Josiah Gray, who tossed six scoreless innings of his own. And that’s the same matchup we’ll get tonight at Citizens Bank Park.

Gray was outstanding that afternoon, feeding off the sellout crowd for Ryan Zimmerman Day and gutting his way through a scoreless sixth inning as his pitch count reached a career-high 117. That was part of a dominant stretch in June for the young right-hander, but his July got off to a ragged start when he allowed six runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings to the Marlins. We’ll see if he can bounce back tonight against the Phillies.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 88 degrees, wind 7 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
2B César Hernández
DH Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Yadiel Hernandez
C Keibert Ruiz
SS Luis García
RF Lane Thomas
3B Ehire Adrianza
CF Victor Robles

PHILADELPHIA – Will Harris last pitched for the Nationals on May 22, 2021, when he surrendered hits to all three Orioles batters he faced. He wound up on the injured list after that, undergoing thoracic outlet surgery about a week later.

Harris reported for spring training this year optimistic about making the opening day roster. He then was shut down after struggling in an exhibition game appearance, underwent surgery to repair his pectoral muscle at the end of March and began another long rehab program.

Now, here was Harris on Tuesday, pitching off the bullpen mound at Citizens Bank Park, believing he’s about ready to face live hitters at last, then ultimately join the Nats’ active roster more than a year after he was first shut down.

“It’s definitely been a way longer process than I think I ever imagined it would be,” he said. “I’m just anxious to get back and start pitching again.”

Harris has been anxious for a long time to finally live up to the three-year, $24 million contract the Nationals gave him after the 2019 season, one in which he dominated for the Astros before surrendering Howie Kendrick’s World Series-winning homer in Game 7. He made 20 erratic appearances during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, then only eight in 2021 before he realized the numbness and swelling he was experiencing in his pitching hand had to be addressed.

PHILADELPHIA – The last time the Nationals set foot inside Citizens Bank Park, Max Scherzer was ready to take the mound for the opener of a doubleheader. Trea Turner was still a member of the team, though he had just been placed into quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19. Kyle Schwarber also was still a member of the team, though he was rehabbing from a hamstring strain that derailed his early-summer power explosion.

It was July 29, 2021, and by night’s end, none of those three guys were a member of the Nationals organization anymore. Scherzer (after tossing six innings of one-run ball) and Turner were traded to the Dodgers for four prospects, and Schwarber was dealt to the Red Sox for one. Gone, too, that day were Daniel Hudson and Brad Hand.

Nearly a full calendar year later, the Nationals returned to Philadelphia tonight, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to that team that last appeared here. That much was obvious by the names on the backs of their jerseys, not to mention the final tally on the scoreboard.

During the course of a 11-0 whitewashing, the 2022 Nationals were once again exposed as the weakling of a National League East that has undergone a dramatic overall since the end of the 2019 season. The Phillies are trying to keep up with the contending Mets and Braves, and even the Marlins are hanging in there (in large part because of their dominance of the Nats).

The Nationals? They’ve now lost 18 of their last 19 division games, as ludicrous as that sounds, falling to 6-29 on the season against the NL East. (They’re 23-25 against everyone else.)

PHILADELPHIA – Though he was able to pinch-hit late in Monday’s loss to the Marlins and bring the Nationals Park crowd to its feet just by drawing a four-pitch walk, Juan Soto is not ready to return to the lineup quite yet.

Soto, who has been dealing with a tight left calf muscle since Sunday, still hasn’t been cleared to run. So he’s sitting out tonight’s series opener against the Phillies, with the possibility again he’ll come off the bench at some point if the situation calls for it.

“After talking to him last night, he felt better but it’s still sore,” manager Davey Martinez said. “So I didn’t want to chance it. We’ll let him try to get better. We’ll see where he’s at. I know he’s going to take some swings later on, and we’ll see what’s going on. But I just wanted to give him another day, and hopefully tomorrow he can get back. We’ll do some running drills with him and see how he feels.”

Despite some initial fear the injury was serious, Soto was relieved to learn Sunday night an MRI showed no strain of the muscle. He figured it would be a day-to-day process to return to play, but after taking swings in the cage during Monday’s game he confirmed he felt well enough to pinch-hit.

The crowd roared with anticipation as Soto emerged from the dugout to pinch-hit for Victor Robles with two on and one out in the eighth inning of a 1-1 game. He then drew a four-pitch walk off Zach Pop, shuffling after a couple pitches and staring down the Marlins reliever following ball four.

PHILADELPHIA – Would you believe we are more than halfway through the 2022 season, and the Nationals are just now making their first appearance at Citizens Bank Park? Actually, would you believe the last time the Nats played here, Max Scherzer was on the mound for them? Yep, it was the July 29, 2021 doubleheader. By the end of that night, Scherzer and Trea Turner were Dodgers, Kyle Schwarber was a Red Sox (Sock?), Daniel Hudson was a Padre and Brad Hand was a Blue Jay.

Just a few things have changed since then, most of them not in a good way for the Nats. They come to town fresh off a brutal four-game sweep at the hands of the Marlins, the last two in extra innings. Now they have to face a Phillies club that beat them four out of five times a couple weeks ago in D.C.

It’s Paolo Espino on the mound tonight, hoping for better results than his last start against Philadelphia. The right-hander gave up three runs (two earned) in five innings, most surprisingly issuing four walks. He’ll need to do a better job keeping the ball in the strike zone tonight, not to mention keeping the ball in the park against this powerful lineup.

A Nationals lineup that struggled mightily all weekend goes up tonight against Cristopher Sánchez. The young left-hander faced them twice last season but faced a total of only 10 batters, so there’s not a big book on him yet.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 79 degrees, wind 12 mph out to left field

The Nationals just completed a seven-game homestand, one that featured all sorts of twists and turns. It began with two straight wins over the Pirates, giving them six wins over an eight-game stretch and giving everyone reason to feel optimistic for the first time in a while. Then it concluded with five straight losses, the last four to the Marlins, who came to town and ransacked the home club over the holiday weekend.

As they now prepare for what looks like a difficult, six-game road trip to Philadelphia and Atlanta, let’s look back at the homestand, breaking it down between the good, the bad and the ugly …

GOOD: JOSH BELL
It doesn’t matter how poorly the team is playing, Josh Bell continues to shine on an individual level. The big first baseman went 11-for-26 on the homestand. Include the big weekend he had just prior to that in Texas, and he’s 18 for his last 38 (a .474 average) with nine extra-base hits, four walks, a .535 on-base percentage and .789 slugging percentage. For the season, Bell is now batting .318 with a .399 on-base percentage (both second best in the National League behind Paul Goldschmidt) and a .913 OPS that ranks fourth (behind Goldschmidt, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado). All-Star rosters are going to be announced at the end of the week. It’s hard to see how Bell doesn’t get his first career selection at this point.

BAD: THE REST OF THE LINEUP
The Nationals as a whole had a dismal weekend at the plate. In getting swept by the Marlins, they hit a measly .194 with a brutal .295 slugging percentage. The lack of power outside of Bell is killing them. The lack of clutch hitting from just about everyone is causing just as much damage. They were no-hit for six innings Sunday by Pablo López. Then they were shut out for seven innings Monday by Braxton Garrett. The worst realization of all: The Nats just lost four straight to Miami, with a feeble offensive performance, and they never even had to go up against ace and early Cy Young Award favorite Sandy Alcantara.

UGLY: ROTATION DEPTH
Just when it looked like they had settled on five quality starters, the Nationals saw Jackson Tetreault succumb to a stress fracture in his right scapula, an injury that figures to sideline the rookie for some time. Which means they need a replacement starter Thursday in Philadelphia. Except the options aren’t all that appealing. Aníbal Sánchez and Josh Rogers likely aren’t ready to be activated off the injured list, needing more time to build their arms up in rehab starts. Cade Cavalli seems to still need to prove he can have consistent success at Triple-A before the organization calls him up, hopefully for good. Joan Adon may be the only remaining choice at this point.

They got another strong start from Patrick Corbin, making it two in a row for the beleaguered lefty. They once again struggled all day to generate any kind of offense against a Marlins starter pitching the game of his life. And they yet again managed to scratch together a late run to tie the game and ultimately send it into extra innings.

At which point an all-too-familiar result awaited.

Bryan De La Cruz’s towering two-run homer off Tanner Rainey in the top of the 10th was the eventual difference, lifting the Marlins to a 3-2 victory over the Nationals. And if any of that comes as a surprise, you haven’t been paying any attention to the 13 games played between these two division foes this season.

The Nats have now lost 12 of those 13 games against Miami, including four in a row this holiday weekend, the last two in 10 innings, each of them defined by a towering home run surrendered by Rainey.

It matters not how often they put themselves in position to beat the Marlins, the Nationals simply are not able to beat the Marlins in 2022. The silver lining: They won’t see each other again until September, with six final matchups between the two remaining on the schedule.