Game Thread: Pittsburgh Pirates at Washington Nationals- 2008 Game 30 of 162.

Tomorrow night it's the Forbes Field Homestead Grays against the Griffith Stadium version, but tonight it's the Pittsburgh Pirates visiting the Washington Nationals' new Nationals Park for the second of this four game weekend series which began last night with the Nationals taking the first game 3-2, for their fourth straight win overall. 

On the Hill...

Originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1st Round of the 2000 MLB Amateur Draft, (22nd Overall), then traded to the Cincinnati Reds and claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates, tonight's starter for the visiting team, 6'2'' lefty, Phil Dumatrait, compiled a (45-44) record with a 3.33 ERA in 142 starts at all levels of the Sox and Reds' systems, before debuting in the Majors in Cincinnati last season and posting an (0-4) record in 6 starts with a 15.00 ERA in 18.0 innings over which Dumatrait gave up 39 hits, 30 runs, 6 HR's, and 12 walks. 

In the first of Dumatrait's six starts last season, his Major League debut with the Reds on August 2, 2007, against these same Nationals, Dumatrait was knocked around for 8 hits, (6 of them doubles), and 6 runs in 3.1 innings of a 7-3 DC victory at RFK. In 10 appearances with Pittsburgh so far in 2008, Dumatrait is (0-1) with a 3.92 ERA, giving up 9 runs, 2 HR's and 13 walks in 20.2 innings and he'll be making his first start as a Pirate tonight... 

Washington starter John Lannan might be the biggest surprise in DC this season, with not only a (2-2) record and 2.64 ERA, but also a 19-inning scoreless streak heading into tonight's start against the Pirates. Lannan's scoreless streak stretches back to the 1st of 6.0 IP against the New York Mets on 4/17, when he struck out 11 Mets' batters in a 3-2 Nationals' loss, and Lannan's thrown 7.0 scoreless innings in each of his last two starts, with 7 walks, 7 K's and 9 hits allowed in DC wins over the Braves and Cubs. Lannan has yet to face the Pirates 11 games into his Major League career...

MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported at a minute after midnight this morning that Lannan would take Matt Chico's spot in the rotation tonight, so that Matt Chico could have, in Manny Acta's words, as quoted by Mr. Ladson:

"...an extra day to relax some more and have some time to work with [pitching coach] Randy [St. Claire] and try to get things in order."

(Does this count as the first time in two seasons that Chico missed his spot in his MLB career?)

In Chico's opinion, according to Mr. Ladson's article, "...there is nothing wrong off the field or mechanically on the mound..." and the 24-year old lefty believes, "...he has to take a step back and relax on the mound."

The Streak...

The Washington Nationals ended April by winning 4 straight, 5 of 6, and 7 of their last 12 overall, a streak which took the Nationals from (4-12) on 4/17, after losing three straight on the road in NY, to (11-17) on 4/30, before last night's win at home against Pittsburgh, which brought DC back to just 5 games under .500, and within 4.0 games of the Philadelphia Phillies, who currently occupy the top spot in the NL East. 

Roster Move...

Chad Cordero, the Flat-Brimmed Closer is on the DL, which means Paul Lo Duca is back on the roster, and the Three-Catcher attack begins with Lo Duca, Wil "the Hero" Nieves and Johnny "Stirrups" Estrada, all on the 25-Man...that is until either Elijah Dukes starts to hit in his rehab stint, or DY completes his miraculous recovery and returns to DC...

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

Game starts at 7:35 PM EST tonight...The Nationals Put Their Four-Game Winning-Streak on the line...