The Nationals have a day off Tuesday to recover from two straight Season Openers, at home and in Philadelphia's Citizen's Bank Ballpark, where Wednesday, right-hander Tim Redding earned himself a spot in the Washington Nationals' starting rotation with a (2-1) Spring in which he posted a 4.19 ERA in 5 starts, and allowed 18 hits, 9 ER, 1 HR, and 5 walks in 19.1 innings, to follow up a 2007 season in which Redding impressed everyone in the Nationals' organization over 15 starts in which he posted a (3-6) record and a 3.64 ERA in 84.0 innings. 

Redding is (2-2) with a 3.19 ERA in 6 starts and 36.2 IP against the Philadelphia Phillies in his career. Last season, Redding's first season in DC, the thirty-year old righty out of Rochester, NY and Monroe Community College, was (1-1) in 3 starts giving up 17 hits in 17.2 IP, with 17 K's and a 3.06 ERA against Phil-Phil Lay-Lay. 

Phillies #'s against Tim Redding:

Pedro Feliz - 4 for 9, .444 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI's.

Chase Utley - 3 for 6, .500 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI's. 

Geoff Jenkins - 9 for 15, .600 AVG, 3 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI's.

The Phillies saved left-handed starter and ace Cole Hamels for Game 2 of 3 with the Nationals. Hamels is (4-2) in 9 starts against DC, with 60 K's and a 2.68 ERA against Washington in his two big-league campaigns. Hamels has 57.0 innings on the hill against the Nationals, and he's alowed 48 hits, 17 ER, 6 HR's and 15 walks to DC batters. In 2 MLB seasons, Hamels has accumulated a (24-13) in 51 starts in 315.2 IP with a 3.52 ERA and 322 K's. In '07, Hamels was (2-1) in 5 starts with a 1.97 ERA and 35 K's in 32.0 innings against the Nationals. 

Nationals' #'s against Cole Hamels:

Nick Johnson - 3 for 7, .429 AVG, 3 2B, 1 RBI. 

(ed. note - "Nick Johnson's really the only one with good #'s against Hamels.")

 ?'s for Nationals' Fans...

How long before Dmitri Young gets a start? Is he going to strictly be a bench player this season? The way Nick Johnson's hitting, DY might have to wait.

Can the Nationals win three straight for the longest winning streak to start a season in their entire...three seasons in existence?