Game 71 lineups: Nats at Dodgers (Strasburg scratched)

LOS ANGELES - Hello from the one and only Dodger Stadium, still beautiful after all these years, even when it's 107 degrees. Yes, you read that right. It's 107 degrees as I sit here in the open-air press box preparing tonight's lineups thread. I've been to L.A. in the summer countless times in my life - we used to come here almost every summer when I was a kid - and I cannot ever remember it being anywhere close to this hot. The good news, if there is any: It'll be dropping back down into the 90s by the time Clayton Kershaw takes the mound at 7:10 p.m. local time.

Stephen Strasburg gray pitching.jpgAs you know, this is a fantastic pitching matchup, with Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg going head-to-head. How fantastic is it? Well, according to STATS, LLC., this is the first time two 10-game winners have faced each other this early in a season in more than 100 years. Seriously.

Strasburg has started only one previous game here at Dodger Stadium, and it was a memorable one: Bryce Harper's major league debut on April 28, 2012. Less remembered than Harper's performance that night was Strasburg's seven innings of one-run, nine-strikeout ball. Kershaw, meanwhile, makes his 13th career start against the Nationals. Not surprisingly, he has been phenomenal (9-2, 2.09 ERA) and even better than that in more recent years (7-0, 0.82 ERA since 2012).

Should be a great one. Start drinking your coffee now to make sure you can stay awake for all of it ...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Gametime: 10:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, ESPN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, XM 869, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 96 degrees, wind 9 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS (43-27)
CF Michael A. Tayor
LF Jayson Werth
RF Bryce Harper
2B Daniel Murphy
1B Ryan Zimmerman
C Wilson Ramos
3B Anthony Rendon
SS Danny Espinosa
RHP Stephen Strasburg Yusmeiro Petit

DODGERS (38-33)
2B Chase Utley
SS Corey Seager
3B Justin Turner
1B Adrian Gonzalez
RF Trayce Thompson
CF Joc Pederson
LF Howie Kendrick
C Yasmani Grandal
LHP Clayton Kershaw

Update: Strasburg has been scratched with an upper back strain. Right-hander Yusmeiro Petit will start in his place.

Strasburg scratched with upper back strain, Petit ...
Nats agree to terms with 23 selections from First...
 

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