WASHINGTON (AP) — The game between the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals was postponed Friday night after two rain delays totaling more than four hours. It was scoreless in the top of the second inning when it was called.The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 3:05 p.m.A thunderstorm delayed the start of the game 81 minutes Jose Fernandez Jersey , but the rain had stopped when play began. Heavy rain and lightning returned with two outs and nobody on in the top of the second inning.The rain eventually stopped as midnight approached, but the game was called after a wait of 2 hours, 55 minutes.The rain spoiled the return of Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross, who was making his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in July of 2017. The 25-year-old Ross, whose fastball reached 97 mph, allowed a hit, hit a batter and had a strikeout.Jon Lester tossed a scoreless first inning for Chicago http://www.marlinsfanproshop.com/authentic-martin-prado-jersey , giving up one hit.Earlier in the day, Cubs manager Joe Maddon was hopeful the teams would get the game in.“We want to play. We don’t want rainouts,” Maddon said. “It’s supposed to rain here for three days. We can plow through. We’ve done that already this year so many times.”“We’d rather plow through this than a doubleheader and a makeup game. We’re going through 23 in a row, so we need to play this,” he said.The NL Central-leading Cubs are 12-5 in the first 17 games of 23 games in 23 days without a day off.Washington has lost three straight games and is 2-5 on their 10-game homestand against NL Central teams.TRAINER’S ROOMCubs: RF Ben Zobrist was scratched from the lineup due to neck stiffness.Nationals: LHP Sean Doolittle (stress reaction, left foot) was reinstated from the disabled list. The Nationals closer missed 54 games. . RHP Jeremy Hellickson (right wrist sprain) threw a 50-pitch simulated game and will throw a bullpen session Sunday.UP NEXTCubs LHP Cole Hamels (4-0, 1.00 with Chicago) and RHP Max Scherzer (16-6 Andre Dawson Jersey , 2.28) were scheduled to duel for the second time in a month in Saturday night’s game. Neither got a decision on Aug. 12 when David Bote’s grand slam off Ryan Madson in the bottom of the ninth won it for Chicago 4-3. Hamels is 16-9 with a 2.63 ERA in 36 career starts versus Washington, while Scherzer is 3-1, 2.45 in seven starts against the Cubs. Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesThe idea of bringing the designated hitter to the National League is "gaining momentum," Tony Clark said Tuesday, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.The executive director of theMajor League Baseball Players Association added players are discussing the prospect of a universal DH across both leagues "more than they have in the past."Speaking during a quarterly owners meeting in January 2016, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed how the tide may be turning regarding the attitudes toward the designated hitter, viaMLB.com'sRichard Justice:"Twenty years ago Wei-Yin Chen Jersey , when you talked to National League owners about the DH, you'd think you were talking some sort of heretical comment. But we have a new group [of owners]. There's been turnover.I think our owners in general have demonstrated a willingness to change the game in ways we think would be good for the fans鈥攁lways respecting the history and tradition of the sport."Bringing the DH to the National League would upend decades of tradition, but it may arguably be the best move for MLB.Occasionally, fans can have fun watching pitchers. When he played for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, every Bartolo Colon at-bat was an adventure regardless of how it ended.For some, the negatives outweigh the positives.One could argue pitchers are at an increased risk of serious injury鈥擜dam Wainwright's season-endingAchilles tearin2015 serves as an example.In addition, ESPN'sBuster Olneyreported in June many front office personnel approach baseball differently than generations before them and "use analytics to steer around risk" when weighing whether NL pitchers should hit.Far more importantly http://www.marlinsfanproshop.com/authentic-jeff-locke-jersey , most pitchers are terrible at the plate.The Ringer'sBen Lindberghwrote in June the offensive performance of pitchers is trending downward, with the position combining for a.115/.146/.150 slash line to start the 2018 season.Years of debating the merits of the DH in the National League hasn't yielded results. Based on Clark and Manfred's comments, however, the move may happen.