Game Thread: Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals - 2008 Game 51 of 162.

On the Hill...

Washington righty Tim Redding(6-3, 3.16 ERA) is looking for his third straight win, and fourth out of five, and in the last two wins, the 7-year veteran's allowed just 1 run in 12.2 innings pitched against the NY Mets and the Phillies. Sunday afternoon, Tim Redding takes the mound for the 15th time in his career against MIlwaukee, his twelfth start versus the Brewers, against whom Redding's accumulated 5 wins, 5 losses, and 56 K's in 61.1 innings, and allowed 67 hits, 31 ER, 10 HR's and 26 walks. 

Redding's opposed on the mound by 25-year old, 6'3'' left-hander, Manny Parra, who pitches out of American River, California, and is (2-2) with a 4.40 ERA in 9 starts and 45.0 innings pitched in '08. Parra's yet to face the Nationals in his career, but he beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start, throwing 5.2 scoreless for his first win since the 5th of April. In-between wins, Parra has started seven games recording losses in two, and no decison in 5 of the 7 outings. 

No one on the Nationals has faced Manny Parra. 

Tim Redding Should Look Out For...

Jason Kendall - 7 for 16, .438 AVG, 1 2B, 2 RBI's. 

Craig Counsell - 7 for 18, .389 AVG, 7 hits, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI. 

Quote of the DAY...

DC right fielder Elijah Dukes talked to Washington Times writer Ben Goessling for an article entitled, "Curveballs throw Dukes off balances", in which Mr. Goessling writes, "Dukes said about 90 percent of the pitches he's seeing are breaking balls and knows he needs to handle them better if he's going to stay in the lineup," (ed. note- "(sic) on that sentence. Edit needed."), and then Eljah Dukes is quoted stating:

"I get a little impatient with a 3-2 count," Dukes said. "I swing at that ball that probably wasn't as good as the first ball he threw to me. Just developing that patience and knowing my strike zone is what I really need to work on." 

Another of Archie's Boys?

No he's not from that famous Manning family, but DC reliever Charlie Manning, who pitched his first scoreless Major League inning last night, was also taking the mound for the first time in the Majors after 8 seasons and 816.0 innings in the Minor League systems of the NY Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and the Nationals. Manning was drafted four times before signing with New York, and traded twice before signing as a free agent in DC, and if he continues to strike out two of every four batters he faces, he might just catch on and be able to stay in the bullpen. 

Jesus Colome? 

A walk, two K's and a leadoff HR in 1.0 innings of work, finds Jesus "Everyday" Colome currently at (1-1) with a 5.82 ERA and 23 K's with 14 walks 21.2 innings pitched...and that's coming off the relief against Philadelphia last week in which Colome gave up 5 hits and 6 ER's in 0.1 innings. 

1:35 pm starts today and tomorrow. 

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

Only two more left on the seven game homestand, and the Nationals are 2-3 through five, and after this it's the Padres and D-Backs during a long trip out west...Lets' Play Ball...