Game 6 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

The Nationals have a chance tonight to do something they've never done in their previous 11 years in the District, nor something any Washington ballclub has done in 65 years: start a season 5-1. With a win tonight over the Braves, the Nats would match the 1913 and 1953 Senators for the best six-game start to D.C. baseball history. No small achievement.

In order to do it, they'll need to get a solid outing from Gio Gonzalez, who 16 days after he last pitched in Florida is finally making his season debut. The left-hander has been throwing in the bullpen every few days since to stay fresh, but that's nothing compared to actual game action. It'll be very interesting to see how sharp he is right out of the gates tonight. Usually, you can tell in the first couple innings which Gio Gonzalez you're going to get.

Gonzalez will be working with batterymate Jose Lobaton, who also makes his first appearance of the season tonight. The two have worked well together in the past, so even though Wilson Ramos is coming off a 4-for-4 performance, Dusty Baker wanted to make sure Lobaton was behind the plate for this one. The rest of the lineup looks the same.

It's a nice, clear day in the nation's capital, though it's going to cool down considerably tonight, with temperatures dropping into the low 50s and a decent wind blowing in from the north. If you're coming to the park, bring layers ...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, XM 185, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 57 degrees, wind 14 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
CF Michael A. Taylor
3B Anthony Rendon
RF Bryce Harper
1B Ryan Zimmerman
2B Daniel Murphy
LF Jayson Werth
SS Danny Espinosa
C Jose Lobaton
LHP Gio Gonzalez

BRAVES
CF Mallex Smith
RF Nick Markakis
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Adonis Garcia
LF Jeff Francoeur
SS Erick Aybar
C Tyler Flowers
2B Gordon Beckham
RHP Jhoulys Chacin