More on Washington

I've already said once today I think we should beat Washington. They're very similar to the 1997 Pirates, though they are on a hotter streak than that '97 team ever saw (that team never got anywhere near 11 games over). In effect, they're playing way over their heads and their division is playing down to them for the time being, thus, in late June they find themselves holding down first place in a division most of the free world thinks they have no real chance in. But for this week, at least, we get them on the road where they aren't playing very well. Tonight's matchup is the marquee matchup of the series, at least pitching-wise, with Livian Hernandez and Mark Redman going. Hernandez to this point has been the anti-Redman, that is he's pitching right along with how he's been pitching the last few years but getting enough run support to be 9-2 right now. Redman is having a career year, but no run support and is only 4-4. This matchup, however, is a favorable one for us because as Charlie at the Bucsdugout points out, Guillen is the only right handed threat in Washington's lineup right now. Meanwhile, as good as Hernandez has been, he's still right handed, which is always a favorable thing for us. Hopefully, as Dejan and the rest of the free world are pleading, Doumit will continue to get ABs, despite our return to the world of natural, DH-free baseball.