On the Hill...
Tim Redding's (3-3) with a 4.12 ERA in 6 starts at home in Nationals Park this season, and the Washington Nationals' right-handed starter is (3-5) with a 5.28 ERA in 11 starts and 12 overall appearances against tonight's opponent, the St. Louis Cardinals. In his one starts against the Cards as a National, Redding went 6.1 innings last August, allowing 7 hits and 1 ER with 2 walks and 8 K's in a 3-2 DC win over St. Louis.
The Cardinals send rookie righty Mike Parisi to mound for the second start of his 9 game MLB career. A 9th Round Pick in 2004 out of Manhattan College, Parisi was called up as a reliever in early May, replacing Anthony Reyes on the roster, and at the time Parisi was quoted in an article at the Cardinals' official site by MLB.com's Nate Latsch entitled, "Cards call up right-hander Parisi to 'pen" explaining how his versatility prove useful in St. Louis:
"There's no real plan,' Parisi said. 'They need innings. I'm still longed out, from being a starter, to get some innings. I can come in for an inning, or I can come in for an out or start. It's kind of up in the air'."
Parisi's (0-2) with a 6.38 ERA in those nine appearances, allowing 24 hits and 13 ER's in 18.1 innings. Parisi's first start came in his last outing against Pittsburgh, where he didn't fare so well, giving up 8 hits and 8 runs with 3 walks and 2 K's in 2.2 IP.
"Opening Night" Odalis Injured?
According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Perez has tendinitis in left shoulder", the Washington Nationals will be without the services of Odalis Perez for at least his next start (scheduled for Sunday) after removing himself from Tuesday night's start after just three innings. The 31-year old lefty talks about the injury in Mr. Ladson's article:
"'It's like something burning,' Perez said, describing the pain that he said has been bothering him for three to four starts."
Mr. Ladson's article at the Nationals' Official site doesn't propose any possible replacements, but Washington Post sports writer Chico Harlan offers some options in a recent "Nationals Journal" post entitled, "Who should start? And who will?", in which Mr. Harlan writes that, "(Manager Manny) Acta allowed the pitcher for Sunday will come from Columbus, but said that narrowed the field to 11 pitchers," but Mr. Harlan thinks otherwise, writing:
"Really, the pool is almost certainly four: Tyler Clippard, Mike O'Connor, Garrett Mock and Colin Balester. The first two have major league experience; the second two, who are two of the Nationals best prospects, do not."
A quick look at the #'s on all four of Mr. Harlan's options....
Tyler Clippard - '08 stats - Columbus (4-4, 3.53 ERA) in 11 starts and 58.2 IP. 48 hits allowed, 23 ER's, 4 HR, 24 walks, 57 K's.
Mike O'Connor - '08 stats - Columbus (3-1, 2.06 ERA) in 8 starts and 48.0 IP. Washington - (1-1, 13.00 ERA) in 5 games, 1 start, 9.0 IP.
Garrett Mock - '08 stats - Columbus (3-2, 3.06 ERA) in 11 starts and 61.2 IP. 62 hits allowed, 21 ER, 5 HR, 13 walks, 51 K's.
Colin Balester - '08 stats - Columbus (6-3, 4.23) in 12 starts and 61.2 IP. 59 hits allowed, 29 ER, 12 HR, 17 walks with 51 K's.
Check the NatCast if you're heading to Nationals Park...
7:10 pm EST. The Nationals welcome the Cardinals. If you want to check out the St. Louis' persective on the series with the Cards, I recommend you check out Viva El Birdos, the SBN's great Cardinals' blog, where lboros and a couple hundred Cards' fans make their opinions known.