Game Thread: San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals- 2008 Game 65 of 162.

On The Hill...

After four years in the Yankees' system, Tyler Clippard, a 6'3'' right-hander out of Lexington, Kentucky, made his debut with New York on May 20, 2007, pitching against the other New York team in Interleague play, where Clippard outdueled Mets' starter John Maine, throwing 6.0 innings of 3-hit, 1-run ball on the road at Shea, in a game both the Yankees and Clippard would eventually win 6-2 over their rival New Yorkers. 

Clippard was (3-1) with a 6.33 ERA in 6 starts and 27.0 innings during his rookie campaign, allowing 29 hits, 19 ER, 6 HR's and 17 walks in his short stint in pinstripes, which ended in early December '07, when the 23-year old former 9th Round pick in the '03 Draft, was shipped to DC for well-traveled reliever Jonathan Albaladejo...

Tyler Clippard, now 23-years old, will make his Nationals' debut tonight against the Giants in the final of San Fran's four-game, unwelcome, over-stayed visit to DC. Clippard's call-up from the Clippers, the Nationals' Triple-AAA affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, means that Garrett Mock's one-day stay is officially over, as Mock's optioned to open up a spot for Clippard's Monday night start.

In 12 '08 starts in Columbus, Clippard posted a (4-4) record and a 3.41 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched. Clippard comes up to Washington in the midst of a stretch of 14.0 scoreless innings on the mound...

San Francisco looks to sweep the four game road series in DC, but they'll need a good outing out of their struggling starter, Matt Cain, himself only 23, with 83 starts on his resume (as opposed to Clippard's 6), with a (24-33) overall record and 2.87 career ERA, included in which are Cain's 2 wins and 4 losses in 13 starts this season, in which he's allowed 72 hits, 42 runs, and 12 HR's with 39 walks. Cain hasn't won a start since May 15th, and before that, all the way back to April 28th...

...The Giants have lost their last four straight with Cain on the mound, and the 6'3'', 246 lb right-hander's given up 23 hits, 16 ER's, and 6 HR's (including 4 in 1 game vs the CWS) over that same period. In his last start, at home in AT&T Park in San Franciso, the New York Mets tore into Cain, with 5 hits, 5 ER, and 1 HR allowed in 5.0 innings...

Nationals' #'s Against Matt Cain...

Cristian Guzman - 1 for 3, .333 AVG.

Felipe Lopez - 3 for 7, .429 AVG, 1 3B.

The "If They Were Playing" List...

Ryan Zimmerman - 2 for 9, .222 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBI's.

Paul Lo Duca - 4 for 9, .444 AVG, 1 RBI. 

Matt Chico is headed to see the dreaded Dr. James Andrews in order to take a look at his injured left (throwing) elbow, which is said to have "loose bodies" floating inside, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, in his article entitled, "MRI on Chico's elbow reveals problem."

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

San Francisco had only two three-game winning streaks in April, but they were unable, both times, to win a fourth, and in May, while the Giants suffered through losing streaks of 5 and 6 games, they again won three-straight twice without claiming a fourth. The Giants, who have won 6 of their last 10 games, have crawled back to within 6.0 games on the NL West leading D-backs, and a road sweep of the Nationals, can only help their cause...7:10 start for the last game of the long-weekend series. Clippard vs Cain. Tonight in DC...