In lieu of the usual Game Thread, I was thinking...

Are we already starting to see why two franchises have left Washington, DC? The Nationals welcome the NL East rival New York Mets to new Nationals Park, and the stadium is maybe two-thirds full, and half of those two-thirds are Mets' fans...The chants of "Jose, Jose, Jose," at the end of the game were rightly booed by those DC fans in attendance, but the Washington fans that were in the crowd quickly deflated after the Nationals gave up the big sixth inning to New York that turned a 2-2 game into a seemingly insurmountable 5-2 deficit. 

Three years and a few weeks in...Is the honeymoon already over? 

Is it just because I was a Montreal fan that I feel some sort of anger towards the New York Mets when the DC fanbase seems apathetic at best? I thought the park would be full...Is it because the Nationals are already 6-16? Are the fans not turning out because the team is playing poorly? It seems a little early in the season for that...Wouldn't people already have bought tickets for these early games before knowing how the first 22 games would turn out?...And what's up with the empty seats behind homeplate? 

If the fans won't turn out for the Mets, or was it not the Mets and just the fact that it was a mid-week game? The Cubs come to town this weekend...If Nationals Park isn't full, I'll be completely surprised?

How about some Good News?...

Flat-Brimmed Closer Watch...

The title of MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article says it all, "Prognosis on Cordero positive", and Mr. Ladson does in fact relay that after visiting with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama, the exam, "..revealed rotator cuff tendinitis and weakness in the shoulder," which means, Mr. Ladson writes:

"Cordero does not need to go on the disabled list. Instead, the righty will pitch and continue to strengthen his shoulder through various exercises designed in conjunction with the Nationals' athletic training staff."

...and The Flat-Brimmed Closer tells Washington Post writer Barry Svrluga, as quoted in a post on the "Nationals Journal" entitled, "Bowden, Cordero on the diagnosis", that Dr. Andrews:

"...said it was just normal stuff," Cordero said of the 'clicking' in his shoulder. 'Most pitchers have it at some point. It's nothing serious, and it's not going to damage me if I pitch with it."

Washington GM Jim Bowden explained the team's view later in Mr. Svrluga's article:

"'He (Cordero) goes out there and pitches and whether he's been throwing 78-80 or 85-87, he's getting them out. That part's encouraging. Now that he has a specific program to build the strenght(sic) up, hopefully the velocity will come sooner rather than later.'"

On The Hill...

Tonight it's Oliver Perez vs Shawn Hill...

Hill's got 2 career starts against New York, and he's undefeated at (1-0) with a 2.57 ERA and 7 K's in 14.0 IP against the Mets. Oliver Perez is (2-2) with a 5.26 ERA against DC in 5 starts and 25.2 IP against the Nationals. The Nationals have scored 15 runs on 28 hits, 3 HR's and 11 walks from Perez, who posted a (1-1) record and 4.97 ERA in '07 against the Nationals. 

The Mets are (4-0) against the Nationals early this season, and they've outscored DC 21-6. It's a 7:10ish PM EST start again tonight from the nation's capital...and please, if you're at the game shout down those obnoxious Mets' fans. Please?

Check the NatCast if you're heading to Nationals Park...