Game 148 lineups: Nats vs. Rockies

At this stage of the season, you know the drill. The Nationals will be asking one of their starting pitchers to get them deep into the game with an effective performance, then hoping their bullpen can hang on the rest of the way. It's been the formula for months, and more often than not it hasn't worked. Not that manager Davey Martinez has any realistic alternatives at this point.

So Martinez will send Patrick Corbin to the mound this afternoon against the Rockies and hope the veteran lefty has a quality start in him. Corbin has actually produced back-to-back quality starts his last two times out, holding the Mets to three runs over seven innings and then the Pirates to two runs over the same seven frames. The Nats would love to see a comparable performance from him today.

In each of those two previous starts, Corbin worked with Alex Avila. And the veteran catcher will be behind the plate again today hoping to continue the trend. Martinez did say he wants to make sure Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams catch Corbin again before the season's over. But for now, he's sticking with Avila, hoping he can bring the best out of the left-hander.

The lineup includes several right-handed bats against Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland. Ryan Zimmerman, who has looked really good in a pinch-hitting role of late, starts at first base and bats cleanup. Jordy Mercer starts at second base, with Luis García getting a day off.

COLORADO ROCKIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 85 degrees, wind 4 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
CF Lane Thomas
SS Alcides Escobar
RF Juan Soto
1B Ryan Zimmerman
3B Carter Kieboom
LF Yadiel Hernandez
2B Jordy Mercer
C Alex Avila
LHP Patrick Corbin

ROCKIES
CF Garrett Hampson
2B Brendan Rodgers
SS Trevor Story
1B C.J. Cron
C Elias Díaz
3B Ryan McMahon
LF Ryan Vilade
RF Yonathan Daza
LHP Kyle Freeland