On The Hill...

Tim Redding(4-3, 3.83 ERA) takes the hill tonight for the Washington Nationals against a former Montreal Expo (on a team full of them), Claudio Vargas, (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who'll make his first start as a Met after being called up from New Orleans in a flurry of roster activity by New York yesterday, which saw them exchange Jorge Sosa and Nelson Figueroa for Vargas and reliever Matt Wise.

Vargas got his start in the Majors with the Expos, making 34 starts in '03-'04 for Montreal and starting four games for the Nationals in 2005 before being claimed off waivers by Arizona in June '05, and eventually traded by the D-Backs to Milwaukee, where he pitched in 29 games for the Brewers, leaving as a free agent and signing with New York in early April '08. Vargas, 29 until June, is 43-38 in 110 career starts and 153 overall appearances, with a 4.95 ERA in 666.2 IP. Against his old team, Vargas is (0-0) in 2 starts with a 3.75 ERA in 12.0 innings pitched over which he's allowed 9 hits, 5 ER, 1 HR, and 8 walks with 9 K's. 

Tim Redding's faced New York's other team 7 times in 7 years in the Bigs, 6 times as a starter, with a (1-1) record and 4.22 ERA to show for his efforts in his career, and 31 hits, 15 ER, 5 HR's, and 15 walks surrendered in 32.0 IP. Redding lost an April 23rd start against the Mets in Nationals Park, giving up 4 hits, 3 ER, and 3 walks in 5 innings, and the last time out pitching in NY, (on 7/28/07), Redding gave up just 5 hits and 1 ER in a 3-1 NY win, in which Redding again took the loss. In arguably his worst start of the season last time out, against the Marlins, Redding allowed 4 hits, 5 ER and 4 walks in 5.1 innings pitched, the most runs and walks he's allowed all season, so he'll be looking to bounce back... 

Nationals' #'s Against Claudio Vargas...

Felipe Lopez - 4 for 8, .500 AVG, 3 HR's, 4 RBI's, 3 walks. 

Ronnie Belliard - 1 for 1, 1.000 AVG, 1 2B, 1 RBI.

Redding Should Be Careful With...

Luis Castillo - 5 for 16, .313 AVG, 3 RBI's. 

Jose Reyes - 4 for 11, .364 AVG, 1 3B, 2 RBI's.

David Wright - 2 for 7, .286 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI.

Carlos Beltran - 4 for 6, .667 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI's. 

Thursday's StarterGATE Update...

Yahoosports.com has Matt Chico penciled in for a start against the Mets' Johan Santana, so we know they're wrong, since Santana's been moved to start against the NY Yankees in the Subway Series this weekend. MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes, in an article entitled, "Chico adjusting to relief work", that, "The Nationals need a starter for Thursday, and whether Chico makes that start is unknown." No word on a starter out of Chico Harlan, (as of 6:30 pm 4/13), who just took over the "Nationals Journal" from Barry Svrluga. Over at the Times...nothing...

Anyone got a scoop? Guess? Recommendation? 

A Federalbaseball.com MYSTERY...(Update) - Federalbaseball.com will be going on assignment next week, not this week as previously reported, but that only means, the mystery will drag out a little longer, like the ending of Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone." The baseball-related road trip I'll be taking will hopefully result in a thought-provoking article and discussion...and now another hint...

-Orange Triangles

7:10 pm EST again for the third of four in New York's Shea Stadium. Tim Redding's 4 wins are halfway to Jon Rauch's team-leading 8 from last season. Ryan Zimmerman's HR last night was his 3rd in 10 games in May, matching his total from the previous 28 games in March/April. Elijah Dukes double last night was his first hit in 15 at bats as a National. A win tonight guarantees a split of the road in New York..."Beat the Mets, Beat the Mets..."