Williams on Span, Zimmerman, bullpen and postseason schedule

Nationals manager Matt Williams said they wanted to get center fielder Denard Span back in the lineup after missing a couple of games with a banged-up knee, diving for a fly ball Tuesday night against the Mets. "He could've played last night," Williams said. "But he's just a little but sore still, but he'll work through that. He needs to play. He's got to play the last few games here to keep his rhythm. He's good. He's fine today to go one of the games today and tomorrow and Sunday as well." Williams was asked what the biggest challenge is for him when his team must play four games in two days. "The bullpen is a challenge," Williams said. "The good thing for us is we can split position players up easy and get everybody into the game and pick and choose our spots. The bullpen is tough because if you have a situation where you don't have a long starter for some reason than your going to your bullpen. So that's the biggest challenge for yesterday and today. But (we'll) pick and choose our spots." Williams said Rafael Soriano will be available and could close a game today. And Williams thinks everyone else in the bullpen is also available. Williams credited Gio Gonzalez for helping out the bullpen and going seven innings in Game 2 yesterday. Williams also said he does not have a "dummy" starting lineup for a win today or a loss today in Game 1 because of the possibility of the Nats clinching home-field advantage. He said he will give starters less at-bats Saturday and Sunday this weekend if the Nationals indeed win one of the two games today. Williams said it was good to start Ryan Zimmerman in Game 1 on Thursday and also get him a pinch-hit at-bat in Game 2. "It set up perfectly last night for him to come in and get an AB (in Game 2)," Williams said. "We want to get him as many as we can but like everyone else we can't push him too hard." Williams said the fact that Jayson Werth will play Game 2 tonight allows them to put Bryce Harper in right field in Game 1. That allows Williams to put Zimmerman in left field today for the first game. That leaves the door open to give Zimmerman a pinch-hit in the second game. Williams said Zimmerman got through yesterday and ran the bases well as he recovers from the hamstring strain. "Better, much better than he did last time," Williams said. "He's getting in games and he's doing things that he has to do to pass all those tests. And he showed up today feeling good. We'll put him back in there and see how he does today. But all results were good after that." "I think it's important to concentrate on staying as sharp as possible. It's difficult because to create game situations (is) difficult. And there's nothing like getting in the game and playing it and having some big hairy guy throwing 98 mph at ya. You don't simulate that unless you play. We don't have that opportunity. So what we must do is during workouts and all of the things we plan on doing, is to make sure we go as game speed as possible. We'll try to set that up for them." Williams said he plans to schedule an intrasquad game during the four day break before the playoffs begin. He will also have a heavy workout and a light workout planned next week so they can "try to get their blood flow and stay as sharp as possible during the whole time we are off." Williams said Doug Fister requested to pitch in Game 1 of today's split doubleheader. Williams said they hope Taylor Hill can go five innings and "throw strikes" in Game 2 to help them get through the day. Anthony Rendon is still getting some practice time at second base and can play there if necessary.