Field ready for play today, weather permitting (Nats up 3-0)

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals are preparing to play two games today at Citizens Bank Park. They have no way of knowing if they'll actually be able to play two games, but they have no choice but to prepare and hope the hours of work the Phillies grounds crew put in to dry out and smooth a rain-soaked infield did the trick.

"It's better," manager Davey Martinez said at 1:30 p.m., roughly 90 minutes before scheduled first pitch of the doubleheader. "It's better than yesterday. We'll see. They've still got some work to do in the next hour. But hopefully they get it right and we can play."

After extensive work Monday night and again this morning and early afternoon, the infield looks normal, from a distance. A few Nationals players and coaches tested it out when they were on the field for early warm-ups and seemed satisfied with the conditions.

Which isn't to say there aren't still concerns about the chances of playing today. Players wonder if the dirt will hold up over the course of two full games, given the soft soil underneath the dried-out top layer. And then there's the forecast for more rain later this afternoon/evening.

"Hopefully we don't get any rain," Martinez said. "I don't think the field can take any more water. And ... how chewed up it'll get when you put spikes on it and guys are running around. I don't know if there will be any delay, where they have to fix the field in between, but it's something they'd probably have to look at."

These are merely the first two of seven games the Nationals are trying to play over the next six days, each of them complicated in various ways. They can't afford not to complete this series as scheduled Wednesday night, because they need to travel to Washington for Thursday's 4:05 p.m. makeup game against the Cubs, which could be affected by bad weather and the pending arrival of Hurricane Florence.

Then the Nats need to get to Atlanta (perhaps having to fly around the hurricane) for Friday night's opener of a three-game series with the Braves. The forecast at SunTrust Park isn't bad, but the biggest challenge may be getting there around the storm.

That had some in the clubhouse today wondering if Major League Baseball might need to relocate Thursday's game to another city. The Cubs (who are in the middle of a homestand) likely are pushing for a location near them (i.e. Milwaukee). The Nationals (who have no interest moving a home game against the Cubs only 90 minutes away from Chicago) probably prefer to go somewhere closer to the East Coast (both Atlanta and Miami are available).

Wherever Thursday's game is played, Joe Ross is scheduled to be the Nationals' starter. The right-hander, whose return from Tommy John surgery last week lasted only 1 2/3 innings due to rain, will remain a starter, Martinez said. He won't be used out of the bullpen.

"No, I'm not going to keep moving him all over the place," Martinez said. "I want him to start, and feel comfortable starting."

Update: They started on time, there have been no disruptions so far, and Erick Fedde is dealing. The right-hander has tossed five scoreless innings, striking out seven to match his career high. And he even recorded his first career hit. That came in the top of the fifth, moments after Spencer Kieboom hit his first career homer (a solo shot just over the right field wall). Fedde followed with a single and eventually scored on Bryce Harper's two-out RBI single. Which came off Adam Morgan, the fourth Phillies pitcher of the inning. Gabe Kapler has 15 available relievers today, and it appears he intends to use every single one of them. Nats lead 2-0 after five.

Update II: It's now 3-0 in the eighth after an insurance run via three straight two-out singles by Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman. Fedde went 5 2/3 innings without allowing a run, and Justin Miller and Koda Glover have kept the shutout alive through seven.