Washington Nationals visit Joey Votto and the Reds to begin the year

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Pitching matchups

Getting the nod on Opening Day is one of the highest honors a pitcher can receive, and both the Nats and Reds have elected to honor a veteran.

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For the Nats, the decision was easy. Max Scherzer will make his third Opening Day start for the Nats. Stephen Strasburg received the honor last year, but that was only because Scherzer was recovering from an injury.

Meanwhile, Homer Bailey will start for the Reds. He has been their ace for a while, but this will be his first Opening Day start. While starting on Opening Day is exhilarating, Bailey is happy just to be on the roster.

Bailey has been hurt for the past three season openers, so being on the Opening Day roster is a nice change of pace.

For the second game of the year, Strasburg and Luis Castillo will face off.

Castillo, 25, is still young, but made a good first impression last year. In 15 starts, he pitched to a 3.12 ERA.

One of Castillo’s biggest weapons is his triple-digit fastball, but that does not faze Anthony Rendon. Last year, Rendon went 2-for-2 with two homers against the flamethrower.

In the series finale, Gio Gonzalez will be opposed by Sal Romano.

Romano debuted last year, so the Nats have never seen him, but Matt Adams took him deep when the Braves visited Cincinnati. Like Castillo, Romano’s fastball is nearing triple-digits.

Next: Where should Trea Turner hit in the lineup?

Opening Day is always fun, but this year should be especially fun for the Nats. Although it is just one game, it signals the start of what could be a historic season for the franchise. After a long offseason, Opening Day is finally here!

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