Game 6 lineups: Nats at Dodgers

It's hard to call a ballgame on April 11 a "must-win," but here we are. The Nationals, having dropped four in a row since their walk-off win on opening day, kind of really need to find a way to emerge from Los Angeles with a victory this afternoon. Not that it would doom their season, but another loss to complete a sweep would leave them 1-5 and needing to win two of three in St. Louis just to come home 3-6. That's not a situation Davey Martinez and Co. want to find themselves in.

The good news: Max Scherzer is on the mound, and if you haven't heard, he's pretty good. If he strikes out 13 Dodgers batters today (admittedly a large number) he'll have 2,806 for his career. That would place him in a tie for 22nd in major league history, alongside some guy named Cy Young. Yeah, that Cy Young.

Scherzer, though, is going to have to get through the first inning unscathed after those two killer homers he surrendered to the Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman on opening day. As we've seen over the years, once he settles in, he's usually very good. But he can't afford another ragged first frame against a tough L.A. lineup on a warm afternoon at Chavez Ravine, when the ball typically flies.

The Nationals also need to do what they've done more than once in recent years: Beat Clayton Kershaw. In his last four appearances vs. D.C. (including the 2019 National League Division Series), the future Hall of Famer has allowed 11 runs on 20 hits in 19 1/3 innings. The pressure's on the Nats (especially Trea Turner, Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman) to do some more damage vs. Kershaw today and escape L.A. with a win.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Where: Dodger Stadium
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv, MLB Network (outside D.C. market)
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 71 degrees, wind 6 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
CF Victor Robles
SS Trea Turner
RF Juan Soto
1B Ryan Zimmerman
2B Jordy Mercer
3B Starlin Castro
LF Yadiel Hernandez
C Jonathan Lucroy
RHP Max Scherzer

DODGERS
2B Gavin Lux
SS Corey Seager
3B Justin Turner
1B Max Muncy
CF Chris Taylor
RF Edwin Ríos
LF Zach McKinstry
C Austin Barnes
LHP Clayton Kershaw