Game Thread: Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals - 2008 Game 50 of 162. "John 'Cool Hand' Lannan Is Back On The Hill..."

On the Hill...

Milwaukee righty Seth McClung hasn't started a game in the Majors since June 18, 2006, when a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies dropped the then-Tampa "Devil" Rays' pitcher's record to (2-10) on the season and raised his ERA to 6.81 in 80.2 innings on the mound. Traded to the Brewers in the highly controversial Grant Balfour deal, McClung's worked out of the pen posting a (1-2) record in 25 appearances. McClung has yet to face the Nationals in his 5-year MLB career, and he's (1-1) with a 3.54 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched. 

John Lannan's never faced the Brewers, but he's won four of his last six starts in convincing performances that have justified his meteoric rise through the Nationals' Minor League system, from Siena College in 2005 through every level of the Minors over two seasons, to his debut in 2007, and his call up to DC earlier this Spring, Lannan's poise, control and agressiveness have combined to allow him to keep hitters off-balance and himself in the starting rotation.  

Lannan's (4-4) with a 3.40 ERA in 2008, and he's coming off a commanding performance against the Orioles in Camden Yards where Lannan lasted 7.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 run and 1 walk with 5 K's. 

Nationals' #'s Against Seth "Aqua" McClung...

Aaron Boone - 0 for 8, .000 AVG, 0 H, 0 HR's, 1 K.

Cristian Guzman - 0 for 2, .000 AVG, 0 H, 0 HR's, 1 K.

DY - 2 for 7, .286 AVG, 3 K's. 

Willie Harris - 0 for 2, .000 AVG, 0 H, 1 CS.

Rob Mackowiak - 2 for 4, .500 AVG, 1 2B, 1 K. 

Non-Nationals Story You Just Have To Hear...

It's really all in the title, "Minor leaguer traded for 10 bats." AP Writer Christopher Sherman's article, which I found on Yahoosports.com, goes on to explain how, due to unexpected visa issues, the Calgary Vipers ended up trading John Odom to the Laredo Broncos in exchange for, "10 Prairie Sticks Maple Bats, double-dipped black, 34-inch, C243 style."...Give it a read, though the title is really the funniest part of the story...

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

7:10 pm EST start in Nationals Park. I predict that "Cool Hand" Lannan's gonna take care of the Brew Crew, the Nationals are gonna climb closer to .500, and Teddy Roosevelt is not going to win the Presidents Races. (ed. note - "I'll be catching the game on the MLB.tv archive, but feel free to spoil it for me, I'll be checking in here through the iPhone...")