Next Game
St. Louis Cardinals
@ Washington Nationals
Saturday, May 2, 2009, 1:05 PM EDT
Nationals Park
Joel Pineiro vs Shairon Martis
Mostly cloudy,rain. Game time temperature around 70.
?'s For The DC Faithful...
• 21? Anyone? Can Mr. 20 Do It Again?
• If Zimmermann Didn't Win, Martis Has To, That's A Rule Or Law, Right?
• When is The Real Cristian Guzman Coming Back?
• What Happened To Strasburg Last Night?
LINKS:
Complete Coverage >
I Think Mr. Acta Means He Misses '05-'07-Cordero And '07-'08-Rauch...
MLB.com's Bill Ladson had a post on his blog yesterday entitled, "Acta: Nats Miss Cordero, Rauch", in which Mr. Ladson quotes the Nationals' Manager Manny Acta stating that he misses his old 8th and 9th-inning options, The Tallest Pitcher In MLB History Jon Rauch and the one-time Nationals' stopper, the Flat-Brimmed Closer Chad Cordero. In Mr. Acta's own words as quoted by Mr. Ladson:
"'I'm finding out right now how tough life is without them,' Acta said. 'That was our strength the last three years. We worried about getting enough starting pitching and putting together some middle innings.'"
Down In Potomac, Future Nationals' Closer Joe Beime...Wait? What Happened?
In his first work since injuring his hip fielding a bunt and making a diving play on a rain-soaked Nationals Park infield on April 20th against Atlanta, DC lefty Joe Beimel started for the Potomac Nationals Friday at home in Pfitzner Stadium...and, uh, Beimel got lit up by the visiting Frederick Keys (BAL), who collected 7 hits and 5 ER off the Nationals' left-hander in just one inning on the mound. Beimel faced the whole Keys' lineup before retiring the ninth batter for the final out of a long inning that began with some wise-guy Orioles' prospect trying to bunt his way on against the rehabbing Beimel, and then saw the Keys hit 3 doubles and 4 singles off the pitcher many are looking to as the next closer in line for an audition with the Washington Nationals...
How About The Washington Nationals' Future Ace?
STRASBURG FILES...
In Stephen Schott Stadium in Santa Clara, California last night, San Diego State University right-hander Stephen Strasburg started the 11th game of his draft year and improved to (10-0) with an 8.0 inning, 3-hit shutout on the road against the overmatched Santa Clara University Broncos. Strasburg gets 6 flyouts, 5 groundouts, strikes out 12 and walks 2, allowing just 3 singles, and Strasburg's Aztec teammates put up 5 runs for a 5-0 win to improve SDSU's record to 29-17 on the season.
Before Strasburg's start Friday night, the SDSU starter's name came up in an article by SI.com writer Jon Heyman entitled, "A-Rod allegations damning...", in which Mr. Heyman writes about the future of the Washington Nationals' starting rotation, asking:
"Anyone notice that Shairon Martis and Jordan Zimmermann the Nats' No. 4 and 5 starters, are both 2-0. (?) They aren't bad (Zimmermann especially). If the Nats can somehow sign all-time amateur prospect Stephen Strasburg, the San Diego State phenom who throws 100 and combines it with a "legit hammer'' (the words of a Nats person regarding his breaking ball), they might actually have something there."
(ed. note - "That's objective praise there from a writer in no way affiliated with the Washington Nationals, any Washington-based newspapers or blogs...Just go back and read it and enjoy that for a minute...")
Unfortunately, Mr. Heyman continues to talk about Strasburg and the Nationals, bringing up the "Daisuke Matsuzaka-like" contract demands of Strasburg's agent Scott "Maximum" Boras, (my nickname, not Mr. Heyman's), before mentioning that the Nationals' fielders who would be playing behind Strasburg if he were to be drafted and signed, are struggling defensively this season, or in Mr. Heyman's words, "...are surely going to set a record for dropped flies (if records were kept for such things.)"
The Nationals vs Joel Piniero...
Joel Piniero, the St. Louis Cardinals' 30-year-old right-hander, has 4 starts against the Expos/Nationals in his 10-year MLB career, with a (1-2) record, a 3.08 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and a .260 BAA the DC Franchise in 26.1 IP in which he's allowed 25 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR and 6 walks while striking out 14 DC/MQC batters. So far in '09, Piniero's (4-0) in 4 starts and 26.1 IP...
Piniero vs...
Ronnie Belliard - 3 for 15, .200 AVG, 1 2B, 1 RBI.
Adam Dunn - 4 for 13, .308 AVG, 1 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI's, 2 BB, 6 K's.
Cristian Guzman - 8 for 20, .400 AVG, 3 2B, 1 RBI.
Nick Johnson - 3 for 11, .273 AVG, 1 RBI.
Ryan Zimmerman - 1 for 3, .333 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI.
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