Washington Nationals: Max Scherzer vs. Clayton Kershaw a matchup for the ages

The Washington Nationals will begin their series against the Dodgers with an incredible pitching matchup. That and more in the Daily Washingtonian.

Good morning, Washington Nationals fans!

Today is Friday, April 20, 2018. The Nats spent their day off flying from New York to Los Angeles for their first trip to the west coast and their annual visit to Dodger Stadium.

If you plan on staying up late, you are in for a treat.

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Thanks to Rich Hill hitting the disabled list with a split finger nail, Clayton Kershaw’s start is bumped up a day and faces Max Scherzer at 10:10. It is rare to have two Cooperstown-bound pitchers face each other outside Opening Day or the playoffs.

With the Dodgers and Nats in different divisions, the odds of a mega-clash like this are truly rare. Expect this one to be fast and tense. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and enjoy this rare display of star pitching power.

At least the Nats pen got a day off. If Murphy’s Law holds after this hype, we will get a 9-8 game with the bullpens pitching in the fourth. It happens.

As the Mets are in Atlanta this weekend, there is a chance Washington takes the field tonight only four back. Take good news anyway you can get it.

Because of late-night games tonight and tomorrow, there will be no Daily Washingtonian over the weekend. It will return on Monday.

On to the links:

The DoDCast previews the Dodgers series

After winning a big series against the New York Mets, the Nats will now take on the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Nats and Dodgers have each gotten off to rocky starts, but they are still among the top teams in the National League. Blake Finney previews what should be a fun series.

District on Deck looks ahead at the Nats’ upcoming schedule

Along with the Dodgers series, the Nats have an exciting upcoming schedule. They square off against the Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks on the west coast before heading back east and playing the Pirates and Phillies. Ross Shinberg looks ahead at the Nats’ upcoming opponents.

MLB.com analyzes Dave Martinez’s start

The Nats do not have any new high-profile players, but they do have a new manager in Dave Martinez. The team has gotten off to a rocky start, but Martinez has looked good thus far. Todd Zolecki analyzes the Nats’ rookie manager’s early moves.

The Washington Post profiles Trea Turner

With Adam Eaton back in 2018, Trea Turner is no longer the Nats’ leadoff hitter. If he wants to eventually return to the top of the lineup, he must begin to see more pitches and walk more. So far, he has done just that and has already walked 15 times in 19 games. Last year, in 98 games, he walked just 30 times. Jorge Castillo discusses Turner’s newfound skill.

Next: Mets series overwhelmingly encouraging

We’d like to congratulate the Capitals on their big series-tying win last night. We’d also like to wish the Wizards the best of luck as they play Game 3 against the Raptors tonight. In the baseball world, the Nats and Dodgers should put on a good show tonight as well.