Washington Nationals’ lineup for series opener with the Braves + Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez on strong start in Cincy...

An 8 for 13 start to the season is just about all Adam Eaton could ask for in his return to the lineup following last April’s devastating knee/ankle injury. Eaton, 29, doubled twice, hit two home runs, drove in four, and scored seven runs in three games as Washington’s Nationals swept the Cincinnati Reds in the three-game, season-opening series.

“I’m proud of him,” Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez said after the Nationals’ 6-5 win in the series finale.

“I’m glad to have him back. I really am. Like I said, he jump starts our offense.”

Eaton actually led off with singles in each of the three games against the Reds, and scored each time, getting the Nationals on the board early, which his manager said is, obviously, important in that it places pressure on the other team from the start.

“We talk about it all the time,” Martinez explained. “We want to put the pressure on the other team from the get-go, and we’ve been doing that. It’s good to see. These guys are playing with a lot of energy right now. I know it’s only the first three games, but I like what I see. We talk all the time about also playing good defense, and we’ve seen that in [these] three days.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah, defense. But what about the offensive firepower? The Nationals outscored the Reds 21-12 in the first three games, and in the series finale, Bryce Harper warmed up too, connecting for two home runs in five plate appearances. Martinez said the two sac flies that Harper connected for in Game 2 were a good sign that the 25-year-old slugger was seeing it well before the balls started leaving the yard.

“He had good at bats,” Martinez said. “I told him, I said, you know, his sacrifice flies are key for him, just stay on the ball, not striking out, and putting the ball in play at times. I said, ‘You can drive in runs without getting a hit.’ But today, you saw Bryce Harper being Bryce Harper.”

Harper finished the opening series 4 for 10 with the two homers and four runs driven in, walking twice as well.

Martinez’s squad will try to keep hitting as they shift to Atlanta for the start of their three-game set with the Braves.

Eaton gets a night off in the series opener, but Harper is back in there, and Pedro Severino, who was called up this afternoon with Matt Wieters landing on the 10-Day DL with a mild oblique strain, is catching Tanner Roark.

HERE’S THE NATS’ LINEUP FOR THE SERIES OPENER IN SUNTRUST PARK: