Game 76 lineups: Nats vs. Mets

And so begins the closing stretch of the first half of the 2021 season, a stretch that will test the Nationals unlike any that have come before. Fourteen games in 14 days, all against contending teams. It begins tonight with a one-off against the Mets, another makeup from the season-opening series that was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The great mystery for the last 24 hours has been the identity of the Nats' starting pitcher tonight. This should've been Erick Fedde's game, but he's now on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Davey Martinez would only say this will be a bullpen game, but obviously someone's got to start. And that someone is Paolo Espino, aka "The Secret Weapon."

Espino has done everything Davey Martinez has asked of him this season, whether that's meant long relief, closing or emergency starting. And tonight he makes his third start, first against the Mets. Espino should be good for about five innings or 75 pitches, depending on his effectiveness. The Nats also have Jefry Rodriguez available for long relief, plus just about everyone else from the usual bullpen suspects.

The Nationals have their pitching issues, but so do the Mets. With a spate of injuries having ravaged their rotation, tonight they turn to Jerad Eickhoff, the 30-year-old right-hander making only his second big league start in the last two seasons. The Nats did seen plenty of Eickhoff when he was with the Phillies; he faced them five times from 2015-19 and actually did well, going 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA.

Victor Robles is not in tonight's lineup, which isn't a surprise considering how gimpy he looked Sunday after getting hit in the right knee. Gerardo Parra will start in center field. Otherwise, it's the usual suspects at the plate for the Nationals.

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 89 degrees, wind 10 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
LF Kyle Schwarber
SS Trea Turner
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
2B Josh Harrison
C Yan Gomes
CF Gerardo Parra
3B Starlin Castro
RHP Paolo Espino

METS
2B Jeff McNeil
SS Francisco Lindor
LF Dominic Smith
1B Pete Alonso
RF Billy McKinney
CF Kevin Pillar
3B Luis Guillorme
C Patrick Mazeika
RHP Jerad Eickhoff