Game 77: Diamondbacks at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

It's another steamy, potentially stormy afternoon in the District, where the Nationals and Diamondbacks continue their series with another strong pitching matchup. Jordan Zimmermann gets the ball for the Nats, looking to become the NL's first 11-game winner this season. Left-hander Wade Miley, last year's NL Rookie of the Year runner-up to Bryce Harper, starts for the Diamondbacks.

Ryan Zimmerman, meanwhile, is expected back in the Nationals' lineup after he sat last night to let his right shoulder rest. Zim did come off the bench to pinch-hit, but it'll be interesting to hear what he has to say about that shoulder and whether this is still a lingering concern long-term or not.

Jayson Werth also is expected to play, though he'll probably be hampered in the field once again. Werth clearly wasn't running at full speed last night, and he acknowledged afterward he may have to just deal with this groin strain for a little while.

Updates to come, so please check back...

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 183
Weather: Chance of storms, 82 degrees, wind 6 mph out to CF

NATIONALS (38-38)
CF Denard Span
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
LF Tyler Moore
C Kurt Suzuki
RHP Jordan Zimmermann

DIAMONDBACKS (41-35)
RF Gerardo Parra
2B Aaron Hill
1B Paul Goldschmidt
C Miguel Montero
3B Martin Prado
LF Jason Kubel
CF A.J. Pollock
SS Didi Gregorius
LHP Wade Miley

UMPIRES
HP Greg Gibson (cc)
1B Hunter Wendelstedt
2B Alan Porter
3B Mike Estabrook

7:06 p.m. — We are underway. There was some light rain during BP and then a nasty looking storm that just passed to the north of the ballpark in the last half-hour, but we're good to go here.

7:19 p.m. — Wow, some rare early struggles for Jordan Zimmermann. He gave up two runs on two hits and a walk and needed 27 pitches to get through the inning. Aaron Hill really worked him over, finally drawing a walk on the 12th pitch he saw. Paul Goldschmidt then delivered an RBI double into the right-field corner. Goldschmidt later scored on Martin Prado's base hit to right to make it 2-0. It's worth noting that Jayson Werth was slow to get to both balls, plays he might have had a chance to make if 100 percent healthy. Clearly, though, he's not 100 percent.

7:25 p.m. — They're also underway in Woodbridge, where Bryce Harper was scratched from left field duties and will only DH tonight due to the threat of rain. He struck out swinging in his first at-bat.

7:30 p.m. — And the Nats get one run right back, thanks to back-to-back hits from Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman. Rendon simply did what he does best: base hit up the middle. He's now hitting .380 (27-for-71) since his recall. Zimmerman followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, so it's now 2-1 D'backs after one inning. Speaking of Rendon, Davey Johnson brought up an interesting dilemma he's going to face when Harper returns: Who hits second in his lineup, Werth or Rendon? "I love to have that problem when it comes up," the manager said. Tough to see how Rendon gets bumped down at this point.

7:35 p.m. — Better stuff from Zimmermann in the top of the second. He retired the side on 12 pitches, leaving him at 39 total pitches through two.

7:50 p.m. — Update from Potomac: Bryce Harper homered in his second at-bat.

7:56 p.m. — Hey, it's another opposite-field double for Rendon. Unbelievable. He's now hitting .389 (28-for-72) in 18 games since his recall, with multiple hits in 10 of those games. Still 2-1 D'backs through three, though.

8:14 p.m. — Welcome back, Tyler Moore. He just belted a solo homer to left-center, his first since returning from Syracuse. Perhaps that's the shot that gets him going again. It's 2-2 now after four.

8:27 p.m. — And the Nats take a 3-2 lead, thanks to Span's first hit of the night, Rendon's third hit of the night and then a double-play grounder by Zimmerman (he doesn't get credit for an RBI on that).

8:34 p.m. — Zimmermann, meanwhile, has cruised since the top of the first. He's now through the sixth on 87 pitches (61 strikes), protecting a 3-2 lead.

8:50 p.m. — That'll do it for Jordan, another stellar outing. He retired the last 10 batters he faced and finishes with this line: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 102 pitches, 71 strikes. Tyler Clippard warming for the eighth.

9:05 p.m. — A scoreless inning of relief for Clippard, a nice bounceback after he served up a homer last night. The right-hander struck out Aaron Hill to end the eighth, pumping his fist as he hopped off the mound. So the Nats still cling to a 3-2 lead as Rafael Soriano warms up for the ninth.

9:17 p.m. — A chance for the Nats to add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, but they stranded Zim at second base. So it's Soriano vs. Goldschmidt, Montero and Prado in the ninth inning of a 1-run game.

9:27 p.m. — That's it. Soriano closes out a 3-2 victory for the Nationals. Zimmermann becomes the NL's first 11-game winner. The Nats are back over .500 and have a chance to sweep the series tomorrow afternoon with Stephen Strasburg on the mound.