Game 96 lineups: Nats at Mets

NEW YORK - The first half of the season wraps up today, though as has been pointed out already, the season is well beyond the actual halfway point. Today is Game 96 for the Nationals, and if they want to reach a Game 163 they're going to have to play a whole lot better the rest of the way, beginning this afternoon.

Jeremy Hellickson will need to give his team a quality start. And Davey Martinez will need to be willing to have a quick hook on his starter, as he has all season to date. No need to rest anyone in the bullpen today, not with four days off coming up. If he can get five solid innings out of Hellickson, Martinez can go with Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Madson and Kelvin Herrera to finish it off, with perhaps Gio Gonzalez thrown in there at some point to get a lefty out.

At the plate, the Nationals will be getting their first look at 24-year-old Mets right-hander Corey Oswalt, who has yet to throw more than 87 pitches in any of his four big league starts. Their lineup today does not include Bryce Harper, who obviously is going to have a lot going on the next two days in D.C.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 1500 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 78 degrees, wind 10 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
RF Adam Eaton
SS Trea Turner
LF Juan Soto
3B Anthony Rendon
1B Matt Adams
CF Michael A. Taylor
C Matt Wieters
RHP Jeremy Hellickson
2B Wilmer Difo

METS
CF Brandon Nimmo
2B AsdrÃºbal Cabrera
RF JosÃ© Bautista
LF Michael Conforto
1B Wilmer Flores
C Devin Mesoraco
3B Jose Reyes
SS Amed Rosario
RHP Corey Oswalt