Nationals’ lineup vs the Braves: Ryan Zimmerman returns to lineup

A half-inning after the Washington Nationals blew a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning last night, Clint Robinson hit a two-out RBI single to center off Atlanta Braves’ closer Jim Johnson to give the Nats to a one-run lead in what ended up a 7-6 win.

In 14 games, five of them starts, this month, Robinson is 10 for 27 (.370/.469/.370) with five walks, three Ks and five runs driven in, leaving him with a .235/.304/.362 line in 172 plate appearances this season.

Last night’s game was Robinson’s 30th start. Dusty Baker talked after the win about the 31-year-old first baseman/bench bat making the most of the opportunities he’s gotten this season.

With Ryan Zimmerman due to come off the DL today, the opportunities might be limited going down the stretch.

“I told him that in Spring Training, with Zim’s history in the last couple years, he was still going to get a lot of playing time, and he’s still going to get some playing time,” Baker told reporters.

“I’ve got to get Zim right, because Zim, man, he can carry you for a month or six weeks and I encouraged him to start his season all over from tomorrow and forget whatever has happened and transpired in the past. And so he’s going to come up big, I mean, everybody here is going to come up big. And so like I told you in Spring Training, we’re going to need all 40-man roster guys, which we have and they’ve all contributed and the young guys have really played well.”

“[Pedro] Severino and Trea [Turner], you name them,” Baker said, “they’ve all played great and tomorrow we’re going to give [Wilmer] Difo the start because he’s played well too.”

Difo’s starting at short. Zimmerman is at first.

Here’s the Nationals’ lineup for tonight’s matchup with the Braves: