Two tough lefties square off in Miami

Remember when the Nationals tried signing Mark Buehrle this offseason and he spurned their advances only to sign with another National League East team, the Marlins? Remember when the Nats then filled the void in their rotation by trading for Gio Gonzalez? Today, the two lefties, whose offseason maneuverings were intertwined, will face off when the Nats look to take their second straight game from the Marlins. Buehrle, 33, ended up signing a four-year, $58 million deal with Miami this winter. The Nationals eventually agreed to a contract extension with Gonzalez, 26, which will guarantee him $42 million over five seasons. Both guys are putting up strong seasons, with Buehrle going 8-8 with a 3.25 ERA and Gonzalez making the All-Star team by going 12-3 with a 2.92 ERA in the first half. But I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the Nationals' organization who isn't thrilled with how their quest for starting pitching worked out this offseason, even if they had to give up some strong prospects to Oakland in order to land Gonzalez. Here are the lineups for today's game: For the Nationals: 2B Danny Espinosa CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman RF Michael Morse 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond LF Tyler Moore C Jesus Flores P Gio Gonzalez For the Marlins: SS Jose Reyes 2B Omar Infante 1B Carlos Lee RF Justin Ruggiano 3B Hanley Ramirez CF Emilio Bonifacio LF Donovan Solano C John Buck P Mark Buehrle A reminder: You can catch me tonight on "Nats Xtra". Phil Wood and I will lead you up to first pitch with the pregame show and then recap all tonight's action after the game.