Game 59 lineups: Nats vs. Giants

Hello from Nationals Park, which hasn't hosted a ballgame in 11 days. Yeah, it's been a while.

The Nationals return home from a nine-game road trip in which they went 4-5, used up a lot of pitchers and took a very late-night flight back from St. Petersburg, Fla., to get here for tonight's series opener against the Giants. They may be a bit bleary eyed at this point, and the forecast of on-and-off showers won't help.

Here's what will help: For the first time since the 2019 World Series, Nationals Park is allowed to be filled to capacity. Before you get too excited, don't expect the place to be anywhere close to full capacity tonight. Between the weather, the 25-33 home club and perhaps some folks who are still hesitant to gather in large groups like this, it's probably going to be a much smaller crowd than that.

No matter, everyone will be excited to be in something of a more normal environment, especially Max Scherzer, who gets the ball for this start. Given how much the bullpen has worked lately, you've got to believe Scherzer is going as far as he possibly can tonight. It's up to him (and to the Nats lineup) to make sure Davey Martinez doesn't have to think about pinch-hitting for him or pulling him because the team is trailing.

If they do hold a late lead, it's a good question who will be pitching out of the bullpen tonight. Daniel Hudson and Brad Hand combined to throw a staggering 75 pitches between them in last night's win over the Rays. Perhaps one or both of them are available, since each had four days off prior to that game. But it would sure be nice to give them both a breather after that kind of heavy workload.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 77 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Kyle Schwarber
C Yan Gomes
3B Starlin Castro
2B Jordy Mercer
CF Victor Robles
RHP Max Scherzer

GIANTS
RF LaMonte Wade Jr.
1B Brandon Belt
C Buster Posey
SS Brandon Crawford
CF Steven Duggar
2B Donovan Solano
LF Mike Tauchman
3B Jason Vosler
RHP Anthony DeSclafani