Game 18 lineups: Nats at Marlins

MIAMI - Welcome to Miami, where the Nationals arrive winners of three of their last four series and hold a 9-8 record. The Nats took their series with the Giants Thursday with a 4-2 win, thanks to some timely early hits and another gem from left-hander Patrick Corbin.

This series marks the beginning of a six-game road trip with three here in South Florida and then three games in Denver against the Rockies starting Monday night.

Sean Doolittle pitched again Thursday for the second game in a row in the 4-2 win over the Giants. He is likely not available tonight. Who will manager Davey Martinez turn to in the bullpen tonight? Could Joe Ross get some extended minutes? Left fielder Juan Soto is in tonight's lineup despite being hit by a pitch on his left wrist yesterday.

The Marlins are reeling and we are only a few weeks into the season.

Their 15 losses are worst in Major League Baseball. They have lost four in a row and nine of their last 10 games. The Fish have not scored a run since Monday after being swept by the Cubs in a three-game set. That's 23 innings without a run scored. They have two wins in the month of April. Their run differential is a putrid minus-49.

This is a series the Nats need to take advantage of a lesser opponent. As Martinez always harps, get off to a get start, set the tone by winning tonight's game one. The NL East appears like it will be a battle all season, so wins against the Marlins actually become ever more important.

Tonight's opposing starter has been the best so far for the Marlins. Left-hander Caleb Smith is 1-0 with a 2.65 ERA coming off a lights-out performance against the Phillies last Saturday at Marlins Park. Smith went six innings, allowed no runs on one hit with three walks and six strikeouts in 10-3 win over the Phillies. This will be his first appearance against the Nats.

Right-hander Aníbal Sánchez (0-1, 4.86 ERA) seeks his first win as a member of the Nats. Sánchez began his major league career with the Florida Marlins from 2006-2011, going 44-45 with a 3.75 ERA in 133 games.

What to look for:

1. Ryan Zimmerman is three RBIs short of 1,000 for his career. He has nine RBIs on the season.

2. Anthony Rendon has a 16-game hit streak, his career long and the longest in the majors so far this season.

3. Adam Eaton has had four straight multi-hit games.

4. With a win the Nationals will enjoy their first three-game win streak of the season.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Marlins Park
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN 2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 1500 AM, MLB.com, Sirius XM 185 (Nats version XM Streaming 869)
Weather: Indoors, 73 degrees

NATIONALS (9-8)

Adam Eaton RF
Anthony Rendon 3B
Juan Soto LF
Ryan Zimmerman 1B
Kurt Suzuki C
Brian Dozier 2B
Wilmer Difo SS
Aníbal Sánchez RHP
Victor Robles CF

MARLINS (4-15)

Curtis Granderson LF
Neil Walker 1B
Brian Anderson 3B
Jorge Alfaro C
Starlin Castro 2B
Miguel Rojas SS
Isaac Galloway CF
Rosell Herrera RF
Caleb Smith LHP