Harper bumped up to No. 2 spot in lineup, Espinosa returns

Davey Johnson has been searching for a serviceable No. 2 hitter ever since Jayson Werth needed to be moved out of that spot and then landed on the disabled list. Instead of continuing to rotate guys with paltry on-base percentages and minimal power production into the two-hole, Johnson has decided to just bump everyone up a spot. Bryce Harper will hit second tonight, marking the first time that Harper's name has been written into the No. 2 spot all season. Harper hit second in 117 of his 139 games played last season, but with the exception of one pinch-hitting performance when he was slotted into the No. 9 spot, Harper has batted third in every game he's played this year. Everyone else gets bumped up a spot, as well. Ryan Zimmerman will move up to the No. 3 hole, Adam LaRoche will hit cleanup, Ian Desmond will bat fifth and Danny Espinosa will hit sixth. Espinosa returns to the lineup after getting yesterday off. The Nats' second baseman is in a 1-for-28 slump, with no walks and 13 strikeouts in his last seven games. Roger Bernadina will play left and Kurt Suzuki is back in the lineup to catch Stephen Strasburg tonight. Strasburg is looking to build off his last outing, in which he held the Padres to two runs (one earned) over a career-high eight innings. It was Strasburg's first victory since opening day. He enters tonight's game with a 2-5 record and 2.83 ERA. Strasburg will oppose Matt Cain, who, like many of the Giants' starters, has gotten off to a rough start to 2013. Cain has a 5.43 ERA on the year, and he surrendered six runs on eight hits his last time out. The right-hander did pick up a win in that game, however, and is 3-2 on the season. For the Nats CF Denard Span RF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa LF Roger Bernadina C Kurt Suzuki RHP Stephen Strasburg For the Giants CF Angel Pagan 2B Marco Scutaro 3B Pablo Sandoval C Buster Posey RF Hunter Pence 1B Brandon Belt LF Gregor Blanco SS Brandon Crawford RHP Matt Cain