Williams continues to experiment with lineup (it's Jackie Robinson Day)

By Josh Land

Nationals

April 15, 2015, 6:45am

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BOSTON - For the second straight day, Nationals manager Matt Williams has shuffled his lineup card to try and avoid a sweep at the hands of the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Shortstop Ian Desmond moves up to the two-hole after a 3-for-4 night that included a double and two RBIs. Jayson Werth will be the designated hitter and bat third today after hitting cleanup and second in his previous two games. Werth is 0-for-7 with three strikeouts since returning to the ballclub on Monday.

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez heads to the mound for his second start. He was rolling through six innings on Friday night before control issues sunk him in a three-run seventh inning in a loss to the Phillies.

Stephen Strasburg 42.jpg Today is also Jackie Robinson Day, Major League Baseball's annual commemoration of the day that Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier in 1947. All players on both teams will wear Robinson's jersey No. 42 today; that number has been permanently retired, though it is worn on this day every season.

Williams was asked his thoughts about Robinson during his daily pregame briefing with the media.

"For me, the biggest compliment I could give is that it goes well beyond baseball. It goes well beyond," he said. "From a baseball perspective, (Robinson was) tenacious, put in a situation that's not comfortable by any stretch. Desire to be in that situation. And fulfilling all the obligations of what was put upon him for many, many years even when he was done playing the game. So we all look up to him. That tenaciousness, that dirve to become the best that he could possibly be in not-so-friendly surroundings. We're proud to be associated with that."

For the Nationals:

3B Yunel Escobar
SS Ian Desmond
DH Jayson Werth
RF Bryce Harper
1B Ryan Zimmerman
C Wilson Ramos
LF Tyler Moore
2B Dan Uggla
CF Michael A. Taylor

LHP Gio Gonzalez

For the Red Sox:

CF Mookie Betts
2B Dustin Pedoia
LF Hanley Ramirez
1B Allen Craig
DH Mike Napoli
RF Shane Victorino
3B Brock Holt
C Sandy Leon

LHP Wade Miley