Game #60
Nats (28-31) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (23-35)
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So, um…where is everyone? I thought you all had a great time last night. Stephen Strasburg struck out 14. He lived up to every bit of hype that byuilt up over the last 12 months. None of you wanted to come back? I’m hurt. Then again, the big-league debuts of Pirates left fielder Jose Tabata and Brad Lincoln doesn’t have the same juice. It’s also just recently stopped raining and batting practice for both teams was canceled. Oh, well. Strasburg is back at Nationals Park next weekend against the Chicago White Sox. For now, the Nats try to build on last night’s thrilling 5-2 win and climb a step closer to .500 again. John Lannan (2-3, 4.79 ERA) starts for Washington. Lincoln, 25, was 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA at Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He was fourth pick overall in the 2006 MLB draft by Pittsburgh. Tabata entered 2010 as Pittsburgh’s second-best prospect behind 3B Pedro Alvarez. He was acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline in 2008 for OF Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte. Last night’s starter for the Pirates, Jeff Karstens, also came from New York in that trade along with RHP Ross Ohlendorf and RHP Daniel McCutchen. I distinctly remember a press scrum with then-Nats general manager Jim Bowden the day that deal was anounced. I believe it was after they acquired Alberto Gonzalez for the Yankees. Bowden was adamant that the deal was awful for the Pirates, denouncing the prospects they received in no uncertain terms. Tabata was the key to the whole thing so if he has four hits tonight you know whose twitter feed to go after.
Ivan Rodriguez gets the day off. Nats manager Jim Riggleman wants to take it easy with his veteran catcher, just back from the disabled list (sore back). Rodriguez caught Strasburg last night and a rehab start at Single-A Potomac. But catching three days in a row is a little much this soon. And Riggleman made it clear four games in a row was not going to happen the rest of this season. Cristian Guzman is back in the leadoff spot for Washington against the right-handed Lincoln with Nyjer Morgan second. Wil Nieves is Lannan’s catcher. Here are the lineups.
Pirates:
Tabata – LF
Walker – 2B
McCutchen – CF
Jones – 1B
LaRoche – 3B
Milledge – RF
Cedeno – SS
Jaramillo – C
Lincoln – P
Nationals:
Guzman – 2B
Morgan – CF
Zimmerman – 3B
Dunn – 1B
Willingham – LF
Bernadina – RF
Desmond – SS
Nieves – C
Lannan – P
