Game Thread: New York Mets at Washington Nationals - 2008 Game 153 of 162. Say Goodbye To The '08 Mets...

Washington vs New York...2008 Season...

4/15 Nationals 0 Mets 6 in NY - (1-0 NY)

4/16 Nationals 2 Mets 5 in NY - (2-0 NY)

4/17 Nationals 2 Mets 3 in NY - (3- 0 NY)

4/23 Nationals 2 Mets 7 in DC - (4-0 NY)

4/24 Nationals 10 Mets 5 in DC - (4-1 NY)

5/12 Nationals 10 Mets 4 in NY - (4-2 NY)

5/13 Nationals 3 Mets 6 in NY - (5-2 NY)

5/14 Nationals 5 Mets 3 in NY - (5-3 NY)

5/15 Nationals 1 Mets 0 in NY - (5-4 NY)

8/12 Nationals 3 Mets 4 in DC - (6-4 NY)

8/13 Nationals 0 Mets 12 in DC - (7-4 NY)

8/14 Nationals 3 Mets 9 in DC - (8-4 NY)

9/9 Nationals 8 Mets 10 in NY - (9-4 NY)

9/10 Nationals 10 Mets 13 in NY - (10-4 NY)

9/15 Nationals 7 Mets 2 in DC - (10-5 NY)

9/16 Nationals 1 Mets 0 in DC - (10-6 NY)

9/17 Nationals 7 Mets 9 in DC - (11-6 NY)

9/18 Nationals vs Mets in DC...

On The Hill...

New York had the season series with Washington won before heading into the final four games of the year with the Nationals this week in Nationals Park...And now, finally, in tonight's finale, the 18th of 18 '08 matchups between the Mets and Nationals, NY throws staff ace, lefty Johan Santana (13-7, 2.70 ERA) against Washington's win-leader and Hall of Famer Don Sutton's favorite pitcher, DC right-hander Tim Redding (10-9, 4.54 ERA). 

Johan Santana is (2-0) in 2 starts against the Nationals this season, having given up 7 hits and 2 ER in 7.0 innings in a 7-2 Mets' win in Santana's first start for NY against DC back on April 23rd in Nationals Park, and the 29-year-old, nine-year veteran beat the Nationals again in August, again in Washington, in another 7.0 inning outing in which he allowed 8 hits, 1 HR, 3 ER and 1 walk with 6 K's in a 4-3 NY win. 

In 2004, Johan Santana pitched a game against the Expos while still with the Twins the year before the Nationals were born...each of the three starts he's made since have, obviously, been against DC, with Santana (3-1) overall in the 4 starts and 29.0 innings pitched, in which he's surrendered 25 hits, 10 runs, 9 earned, 3 HR's and 3 walks with 22 K's collected, a 2.79 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and .231 BAA.

Tim Redding's (2-1) in 7 starts and 1 relief appearance against New York in his 7-year career, having faced the Mets twice over the first two months of this season (and not since), losing at home and winning at Shea, allowing 6 hits, 4 ER, 1 HR and 5 walks with 7 K's while posting a 3.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and .158 BAA. 

At home in DC in '08, Redding's (6-5) in 16 starts, with a 4.85 ERA in 89.0 innings pitched. Santana's road record? (6-4) in 16 starts, with a 3.11 ERA in 107.0 innings pitched...Career? Redding's (22-22) in home starts in for Houston, NY's Yankees, the Padres and now the Nationals...Santana's (53-26) away from either Minnesota or New York...

Nationals' #'s Against Johan Santana...

Aaron Boone - 2 for 17, .118 AVG, 1 2B, 1 RBI. 

Cristian Guzman - 6 for 10, .600 AVG, 1 2B. 

Willie Harris - 1 for 6, .167 AVG, 1 2B. 

Ryan Langerhans - 1 for 1, 1.000 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI. 

Wil Nieves - 2 for 5, .400 AVG. 

Tim Redding - 1 for 2, .500 AVG, 1 2B, 2 RBI's. 

Ryan Zimmerman - 2 for 9, .222 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI's. 

The Mets vs Tim Redding...

Carlos Beltran - 4 for 8, .500 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI's. 

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

Carlos Delgado - 0 for 6, .000 AVG, 1 RBI. 

Jose Reyes - 4 for 13, .308 AVG, 1 3B, 2 RBI's. 

Brian Schneider - 1 for 5, .200 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI. 

David Wright - 3 for 10, .300 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI. 

The Nationals' 08 #'s Against The Mets...

Cristian Guzman - 22 for 69, .319 AVG, 4 2B, 3 HR's, 11 RBI's. 

Lastings Milledge - 13 for 60, .217 AVG, 3 2B, 3 RBI's. 

Ryan Zimmerman - 17 for 55, .244 AVG, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR's, 8 RBI's

Willie Harris - 6 for 31, .194 AVG, 2 2B.

Elijah Dukes - 5 for 22, .227 AVG, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI's. 

Aaron Boone - 9 for 31, .290 AVG, 1 RBI.

Random Stat...

Elijah Dukes is now just 1 HR behind Nationals' team leader Lastings Milledge...(and tied with Willie Harris.)

Milledge has 14 HR's in 491 AB's. 

Dukes has 13 HR's in 250 AB's. 

For The Mets' Fans' Perspective, Check Out The SBN's Mets' Blog:

Amazin' Avenue

Don't Forget To...

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

7:10 pm EST again tonight from Nationals Park, I'll add some notes when I find them during the day...One more left with NY...One last chance to drown out all the Mets' fans who make their way to DC's Nationals  Park. Santana vs Redding. DC vs NY. Can Dukes hit HR #14?? The way Dukes is swinging, I wouldn't doubt it...Can DC put one more ob-stackle in the Mets' way...Who's Watching The Nationals?