Washington Nationals’ lineup for tonight’s series opener with the Colorado Rockies...

Stephen Strasburg tossed eight scoreless against the Miami Marlins on Sunday and Ryan Zimmerman and Brian Dozier homered, Zimmerman twice, with Howie Kendrick (sac fly), and Wilmer Difo (RBI single) both driving in runs in what ended up a 5-0 win, with which Washington’s Nationals avoided a sweep of the series in South Florida.

“It’s huge,” Davey Martinez told reporters when asked just how big Sunday’s win was for the Nationals, who’d dropped the first two games in Marlins Park.

“[Strasburg] comes out there today, day game after a night game, and shoves,” Martinez said, “he really does. And the offense, we had some big home runs. It was good to see Zim swing the bat the way he did, Dozier hits a home run, I know we picked up another run or two late, but the boys played well today.”

Zimmerman’s home runs were his second and third of the season, and the 2 for 4 day left the 34-year-old first baseman with a .203/.304/.390 line on the season after 18 games.

Dozier homered in Friday’s game, struck out in three of four plate appearances on Saturday, then finished the series with a 1 for 3, BB day on Sunday, leaving him at .177/.239/.239 with a double and three home runs after 18 games.

“These two guys are notoriously slow starters,” Martinez said, “but they’ve been swinging the bat, working better at bats, and we need them both. We need them both to swing the bats well, but I told Dozier, ‘Hey, just play good defense, you’re going to hit, I know you’re going to hit, so just go out there and play good defense, help us win in other ways, but today and the other day he hit a home run too, so it’s coming.”

Will Zimmerman and Dozier keep swinging it? How will the Nationals’ pitchers perform in the mile-high air in Denver, CO? Still no Anthony Rendon, who was hit on the elbow by a pitch on Saturday, but Jake Noll was called up this afternoon to strengthen the bench...

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE 1ST OF 3 WITH THE ROCKIES: