The originally scheduled game tonight was slated to begin at 7:05 p.m., with a gem of a matchup: Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer (7-1, 1.69 ERA) against the Yankees left-hander C.C. Sabathia (2-0, 2.23).
But rain is again in the forecast, so the 5:05 p.m. resumption of the first game of the series (currently in the bottom of the sixth with the score tied 3-3) and that original start time are definitely not set in stone.
The subject of preventing Max Scherzer getting burned for that game was the hot topic of pregame with manager Davey Martinez.
"We definitely hope that either it's going to rain really hard or doesn't rain at all because you don't want to burn Max," Martinez said. "But I'm not the weather man. Right now it's 50-50.
"He's prepared to pitch today. If weather permits, he's pitching against the Yankees today."
The question was asked if Friday's scheduled starter right-hander Tanner Roark could be moved up for a start tonight instead?
"We have had a couple different conversations but we will just have to wait and see what happens here," Martinez said.
"I'm not going to base our decision on rain. We're going to play the game the way we see fit and put the guys that we think best match up with their players and we'll see what happens. The biggest thing for me is that we go out there we score right away and that will make things a lot easier and a lot more interesting."
Right-hander Austin Voth is back as the 26th man and is eligible for the 7:05 p.m. game. He was first called up April 29 but did not get into that game. Voth is on five days rest. If the rains do come and continue into that 7:05 p.m. game, Martinez could skip Scherzer to save him and give Voth the start.
"We haven't made that decision yet but it's been a thought," Martinez acknowledged. "It really has so we'll see. Max is ready. So if we do play this game, Max will pitch."
Voth has gone 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in seven starts for Triple-A Syracuse. He has 33 strikeouts and only eight walks in 25 2/3 innings. But Voth's ERA was 0.76 until his two most recent starts, May 6 and May 11, where he got knocked around a bit, to the tune of 12 earned runs in just two innings.
Voth could piggy back Scherzer tonight, especially if the game gets going and then the heavy precipitation arrives.
"He gives us length," Martinez said of Voth. "Say Max starts the game all of a sudden we get three innings in and it starts down pouring. He can't go back out. We have a guy that possibly could give us four or five innings."
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