On The Hill...

Acquired in a trade for Mike Stanton. No-No in the WBC. Olympic starter with the Netherlands...You've heard it all before, now it's time to see what Shairon Martis can do at the Major League level as he makes his MLB debut in Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia, against Braves' second-year lefty Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10, 5.49) who has appeared in 9-straight Braves' losses, starting 8 of them, stretching back to June 23, 2008... against some guy named James Parr.

...21-years old in March, Shairon Martis started 21 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Columbus this season, compiling a (5-6) record with a 3.64 ERA in 116.1 IP over which he allowed 115 hits, 52 runs, 47 earned, 7 HR's and 45 walks with 99 K's. 

Martis was (0-2) with a 6.75 ERA in Olympic competition, giving up 10 hits, 8 runs, 2 HR's and 5 walks while striking out 11 over 10.2 innings pitched. Martis was also one of 9 "World" starters to shutout the team comprised of US-born prospects in the XM MLB All-Star Futures Game that was held in Yankees Stadium the Sunday prior this season's HR Derby and Major League game as part of the All-Star festivities. 

...Jo-Jo Reyes didn't fare too well last Saturday in DC, where the Nationals knocked the Braves' 23-year old lefty out after just 4.0 innings pitched in which Reyes allowed 8 hits, 4 runs and 2 walks...In the top of the fifth, with the Braves leading 6-2, Ryan Zimmerman and Lastings Milledge singled in succession to end Reyes' outing, bringing out Braves' Manager Bobby Cox and bringing on reliever Buddy Carlyle, who promplty surrendered an RBI two-bagger to Ronnie Belliard, a walk to Elijah Dukes, and a bases-clearing double to Jesus Flores, which put DC up 7-6 in a game they'd eventually win 9-8 in extra innings in the first of a three game weekend sweep of Atlanta.... 

In 2007, Reyes was (8-1) with a 3.53 ERA in Double-A with the Braves' affiliate in Mississippi, and (4-0) with a 1.00 ERA in 6 starts and 36.0 innings for Triple-A Richmond, debuting with Atlanta on July 7th, 2007, and staying with the Braves through the end of the season. Over his first two years in Atlanta, after being selected with the 43rd pick in the 2nd Round of the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft, Reyes is (5-8) in 28 starts and 30 appearances overall, with a 5.74 ERA in 149.0 IP. 

Reyes' only other start against DC was earlier this season, back on July 20th in Atlanta, with Reyes knocked out only 2.1 innings in after surrendering 6 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks in a 15-6 Nationals' romp...

James Parr...

Nationals' #'s Against Jo-Jo Reyes...

Ronnie Belliard - 1 for 3, .333 AVG. 

Elijah Dukes - 1 for 2, .500 AVG, 1 SB.

Willie Harris - 1 for 1, 1.000 AVG, 2 RBI's. 

Anderson Hernandez - 2 for 3, .667 AVG, 2 RBI's. 

Ryan Zimmerman - 3 for 3, 1.000 AVG. 

Shairon Martis Breakdown...(Split Stats w/ Triple-A Columbus)

Martis vs Lefties...3.94 ERA in 16.0 IP, 23 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 23 K's.

Martis vs Righties...2.45 ERA in 25.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 19 K's....

-- I somehow managed to avoid noticing this fact until reading the AP's MLB "Roundup" in yesterday's Newark Star-Ledger, where it was pointed out, in their article entitled, "Hamels, Phillies end Nationals win streak", (Why no apostrophe? Nationals' win streak? Eh, anyway..."), after Philly's 4-0 shutout win in the second of the three game series the teams completed last night:

"The Nationals have been shut out 20 times, seven more than any other major-league team."

Try to Answer This ??? Before Reading on...Luke Montz and Shairon Martis will be the _ _th and _ _ th Nationals to debut in '08?

When Luke Montz and Shairon Martis both play tomorrow, they will become the 8th and 9th Nationals to debut in 2008, along with (in alphabetical order)...Collin Balester, Roger Bernadina, Marco Estrada, Mike Hinckley, Charlie Manning, Garrett Mock and Steven Shell...

For An Atlanta-Based Perspective on the Nationals/Braves Series Check Out the SBN's Braves' blog:

Talkin' Chop

The first of four in Atlanta gets underway at 7:10 pm from Turner Field. Martis' debut. Jo-Jo Reyes tries to stop the lossing. The Nationals try to win their sixth-straight games against the Braves...(3 last weekend, and the second 2 of 3 in the July series between the teams)...The Nationals were 2-4 in their last road trip, but this time it's a nine-game trip through Atlanta, New York and Florida. Who's Watching The Nationals?