Washington Nationals’ lineup for series opener with Colorado Rockies in Coors Field...

Dusty Baker’s Washington Nationals dropped two of their three games in Colorado’s Coors Field last August, winning the series opener, 5-4, then dropping 6-2 and 12-10 decisions to the Rockies. Baker told reporters after the series finale, that the first of three games was an anomaly.

Stephen Strasburg struggled in the mile-high air, giving up nine hits, three walks and nine earned runs in just 1 ²⁄₃ innings in the finale before he was lifted from his start, but the Nats battled back to make a game of the third of three.

“I’m glad how our team battled back,” Baker said. “We were one key hit away from tying that game up.

“I looked over at their dugout and they didn’t feel comfortable at all, which you never feel comfortable here. And so, but we knew coming in here.

“Today was the typical Coors Field day, 12-10, the other couple days, 5-4, and 6-2, those aren’t usually Coors Field kind of games, but I’m just glad that we scored some runs and I’m proud of the way guys fought today.”

Strasburg won’t have to face the Rockies this week. He was placed on the paternity list this afternoon, and the Nats called up Jacob Turner to start the first of three with the Rockies.

The Nationals arrive in Colorado with a seven-game winning streak, with six straight on the road in consecutive sweeps of the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets.

Their longest win-streak last season, on the way to their third NL East crown in the last five seasons, was a seven-game streak between April 10-16th. A win tonight would give the Nationals their longest win streak in the Dusty Baker era.

Here’s the lineup that Baker is sending out against the Cardinals tonight (with Bryce Harper and Matt Wieters sitting this one out):