Span gets day off, Harper moves to center field (with lineups)

MIAMI -Center fielder Denard Span gets his first day off since returning from the diabled list last Sunday when the Nationals face the Marlins this afternoon. Washington will be looking to end a three-game losing streak.

The 31-year Span was tested in the outfield Friday night, especially on a couple of hard-hit balls that he tracked down in the fifth inning. After drawing a walk in the seventh, Span stole his first base of the season and eventually scored the Nationals' second run.

Today might be Bryce Harper's first start of the season in center field, but it will be the 100th of his four-year career. Despite his 22 strikeouts, Harper continues to lead the league in walks with 16 and has reached base safely in 15 of 17 games while improving his average to .286 after going 2-for-2 last night.

Third baseman Yunel Escobar moves back into the leadoff spot, which he occupied for four games prior to Span's activation. Last night's seventh-inning single stretched Escobar's on-base streak to 14 games. He has struck out only five times in 64 at-bats.

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg takes the mound hoping to build off his stellar last start when he was perfect against the Phillies through 4 2/3 innings en route to his first victory of the season. Strasburg rebounded from two rough outings where he was banged around for eight runs in just 10 2/3 innings.

"He pitched at 92, 93 (mph) and was able to reach back when he needed it for 95-plus," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "I think, for me, that makes his changeup even more effective. He threw it for strikes when he wanted to, out of the zone when he needed to, so I don't know if I've seen him better than that."

Marlins star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is only batting .226 after going 0-for-4 night in the series' first game, including two strikeouts. But Stanton has measured Strasburg fairly well in the past, hitting 10-for-28 with three homers and five doubles.

This afternoon's game features two of the hottest-hitting shortstops in the National League. The Nationals' Ian Desmond has hit safely in 10 straight and his batting .405 (17-for-42) with five doubles, one home run and four RBIs over the streak. The Marlins' Adeiny Hechavarria's eighth-inning double put him in position to score the game's winning run last night. He was 2-for-3 on the evening to run is hitting streak to seven games and is now batting .476 over his last 11 games.

For the Nationals:

3B Yunel Escobar
SS Ian Desmond
LF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
1B Ryan Zimmerman
C Wilson Ramos
RF Reed Johnson
2B Danny Espinosa
RHP Stephen Strasburg

For the Marlins:

CF Dee Gordon
3B Matin Prado
RF Giancarlo Stanton
CF Marcell Ozuna
1B Justin Bour
C J.T. Realmato
LF Ichiro Suzuki
SS Adeiny Hechavarria
RHP Tom Koehler