Nationals game blog: Max Scherzer, Matt Harvey featured in marquee matchup

By Josh Land

Nationals

October 03, 2015, 2:35pm

Comments

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Imagine the high drama there would have been at Citi Field tonight - with aces Max Scherzer and Matt Harvery taking the mound - if the Nationals were still in the playoff hunt.

Scherzer was tagged for three homers and lost a two-run lead in the sixth in the second game of the Mets pivotal sweep at Nationals Park on Sept. 7. The right-hander's other start this season against New York came on opening day when he carried a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings before three unearned runs in a hard-luck loss.

Harvey is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA and 30 strikeouts in five starts against the Nats this season. Overall, the hard-throwing right-hander is 13-7 with a 2.80 ERA over 28 starts in his first year back since Tommy John surgery.

Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond are all out of the lineup tonight. That means the Nationals get a chance to preview their potential double play combo of the future with rookies Wilmer Difo and Trea Turner starting.

Playing second base, Difo will make the first start of his young major league career. He is 1-for-10 appearing in 14 games so far.

Turner, starting at shortstop, is batting .250 (8-for-32) in 25 games since making his big league debut on Aug. 22.

Rookie Michael A. Taylor returns to the lineup after sitting out the first game of the doubleheader. The 24-year-old is slashing .232/.284/.363 with 14 homers, 15 doubles, one triple, 63 RBIs and 16 stolen bases over 136 games in his first full season in the majors.