Game 2 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

There are few days on the baseball calendar as frustrating as the off-day following Opening Day. It’s unfortunately tradition, though, included to serve as a fallback option for the season opener in case of bad weather. When the weather’s fine, all it does is give everyone way too much time to overanalyze Game 1 before turning attention to Game 2.

The Nationals and Braves can finally focus on that next game now, with first pitch on South Capitol Street scheduled for 4:05 p.m. The Nats will hope to bounce back from a rough 7-2 loss that included bad defense, laborious starting pitching and very little clutch hitting.

Josiah Gray will have to be more efficient than Patrick Corbin was. The young right-hander was outstanding all spring, so he should enter this start with renewed confidence. But he’ll have to work really hard to keep the ball in the yard against a power-laden Braves lineup that will try to take advantage of a strong wind blowing straight out to center field once the rain clears out this afternoon.

The Nationals will hope some familiarity with Spencer Strider leads to some success. The flamethrowing right-hander made two starts in D.C. last summer. He dominated the first one, allowing one hit (a Luis García homer) while striking out 11 in 5 2/3 innings. But then the Nats got to him for five runs in four innings one month later, so perhaps they’ve got a better book on him now.

ATLANTA BRAVES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Rain ending, 73 degrees, wind 21 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
2B Luis García
DH Joey Meneses
1B Dominic Smith
C Keibert Ruiz
LF Corey Dickerson
3B Jeimer Candelario
RF Lane Thomas
SS CJ Abrams
CF Victor Robles

RHP Josiah Gray

BRAVES
RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
1B Matt Olson
3B Austin Riley
2B Ozzie Albies
CF Michael Harris II
C Travis d'Arnaud
LF Eddie Rosario
DH Marcell Ozuna
SS Orlando Arcia

RHP Spencer Strider