Pitcher batting eighth for first time since 2011 (Nats win 6-5)

CINCINNATI - In their first 13 seasons of existence, the Nationals submitted a starting lineup with their pitcher batting eighth only 11 times, all of them coming in succession in mid-June 2011. Unable to find a consistently effective leadoff man, former manager Jim Riggleman decided to shake things up, move Jayson Werth to the No. 1 spot, slide everybody else up a slot and bat guys like Roger Bernadina or Ian Desmond ninth behind the pitcher.

Whether because of the change or not, the Nationals did win 10 of those 11 games. But then Riggleman shockingly resigned over a contract dispute, interim manager John McLaren was able to use a designated hitter during his three-game reign during road interleague games against the White Sox and Davey Johnson proclaimed he would only bat the pitcher ninth upon taking over full-time.

Nearly seven years later, the Nationals finally submitted a lineup card with the pitcher in the eight-hole again. Davey Martinez, who tinkered with it during spring training, did it for real in today's series finale against the Reds, with Gio Gonzalez batting eighth and Wilmer Difo ninth.

It's something we'll probably see again, perhaps even regularly, this season. It all depends on matchups and who exactly is part of the lineup on a given day. And today the presence of Difo for the first time prompted Martinez to give it a go.

"I like Difo," the rookie manager said. "Difo, to me, is another leadoff guy. So we're batting him ninth today, maybe jumpstart the bottom of our order and get the top of the order flipped around and get something going."

Early on, it hasn't made any positive difference for the Nationals. Gonzalez batted with one out and nobody on in the top of the second and struck out, with Difo grounding out behind him. The Reds actually took advantage of the lineup in the top of the fourth, intentionally walking No. 7 hitter Miguel Montero to bring Gonzalez to the plate with two on and two out. (Gonzalez grounded out to end the inning.)

Difo then led off the top of the fifth but grounded out to first, unable to set the table for the top of the lineup.

No worries, though, because the 1-2-3 hitters in today's lineup have done enough damage themselves to give the Nats a 3-0 lead. After Adam Eaton led off the game with yet another single (his seventh hit in nine at-bats), Anthony Rendon launched a fastball from Sal Romano into the second deck in left field.

Bryce Harper then connected for his first homer of the season in the top of the sixth, sending a 3-1 fastball from Romano halfway up the bleachers in right-center.

Update: This is going to shock you, but Eaton has homered again. Yep, a two-run shot off Yovani Gallardo in the top of the seventh to extend the Nationals' lead to 5-1. If you've lost track, he's now 8-for-12 with two doubles, two homers and five RBIs, not to mention a 2.025 OPS. Is that good?

Update II: This one isn't in the books just yet. Sammy Solís was asked to pitch the eighth with a four-run lead, but unlike Saturday he was all over the place. The lefty didn't retire any of the four batters he faced, allowing one hit, two walks and plunking Joey Votto in the back. It was left to Ryan Madson to clean up a bases-loaded, no-out mess, and the veteran delivered big-time, getting a double-play grounder and flyout to escape the jam with only one run across the plate. So the Nats take a 5-3 lead into the ninth.

Update III: That's your ballgame. Nats win 6-5, thanks to a tack-on homer by Harper in the top of the ninth that proved important after Sean Doolittle served up a two-run homer to Phil Gosselin with two outs in the bottom of the inning before notching his second save and complete the club's season-opening sweep of the Reds.