Interleague play begins early this year, with a visit from the ex-Expos. Gone are the days, alas, when the Expos and Jays used to play before large and loudly bipartisan crowds at the Dome; the slow death of the Expos turned this matchup into a non-event some years ago. There's talk of now making Philadelphia the "natural rival" for interleague purposes, starting next year.
* General: Coming off a 5-2 homestand, the Nats are a very respectable 23-18 ... The Expos went 9-14 in Toronto over the years ... Reflecting good luck and a good bullpen, D.C. is 8-5 in one-run games ... Washington's staff has a fine 3.47 ERA in May ... In 20 of their last 23 games, Washington's starting pitcher has allowed three runs or fewer ... The Nationals have neither hit a grand slam nor a three-run homer so far this year ... Jose Vidro is still several weeks away with a painful high ankle sprain ... Joey Eischen has a broken right arm and Terrmel Sledge is out after undergoing right hamstring surgery ... Postgame interviews involving the Nationals have regularly featured words like "heart" and "guts" lately ...
* Nick Johnson: As patient as ever, and healthy for once ... Picks his pitch and is dangerous when ahead in the count ... Long swing but he's excellent at off-speed pitches and can catch up to heat when it's out over the plate ... Likes pitches up and away ... Lefties can lock him up with breaking pitches in, or down and away ... Seems to be trimmer than his Yankee days ... Good reactions at first ...
* Jose Guillen: Bothered by sore ribs, Guillen sat out the Milwaukee series but should be ready to go tonight ... Menacing presence in the batter's box ... Can drive the ball to all fields, as he extends well on pitches over the plate ... Thinks right-centre and adjusts to pitches in ... Violent swing that causes him to pull his head off fastballs up in the zone -- high heat is his Kryptonite ...
* Hector Carrasco: Veteran one of many Nats relievers to find his game this season ... Warren Sawkiw speculated that Carrasco might get the ball on Sunday to start, but he's likely to stay in the 'pen ... Good riding fastball that he runs away from lefties to coax pop-ups and fly outs ... Throws a so-so sinker ... Does not hold runners well ...
* Claudio Vargas: Will be pitching on just two days' rest after getting shelled on Tuesday ... Works up in the strike zone and is very prone to the longball ... Throws strikes and likes to be aggressive in getting strike one ... Usually throws a low-90s fastball without too much movement, but can dial it up to 94 or so ... Good tight slider that he throws down and in to lefties ... He's no Roger Clemens, but he's got a similar delivery ... He's 1-0, 2.84 in three appearances against the Jays ...
* Ryan Church: Lovely-looking swing ... Stays down on knee-high fastballs very well ... Great bunter and likes to bunt for a hit -- watch for it if Aaron Hill gets playing time at third ... Prefers the ball down and can therefore be frozen by 12-to-6 curves ... Big, big trouble with lefthanded breaking stuff ... Doesn't always take the best path to the ball in the outfield ...
* Brian Schneider: Stays closed at the plate and can drive pitches on the outer half the other way ... Usually selective ... Keeps his head down on the ball well ... Will chase fastballs up the ladder ... Not easy to strike out ... Can handle the bat and bunt ... Choppy swing leads to plenty of soft liners ...
* Cristian Guzman: Keeps his hands very low and has a slap opposite-field swing that's almost Otis Nixon-like ... Hacks away early in the count ... Not as good a bunter as you would guess from his skill set ... Has been atrocious from the right side of the plate, where he really has trouble with outside strikes ...
* Brad Wilkerson: The rarest of breeds: A lefty who's started to really mash lefties ... Seems to pick up on lefthanded breaking stuff really well, and drive it. It helps that he loves the ball in ... Will go the other way ... Good baserunner with a good first step out of the batter's box ... Very strikeout-prone but doesn't cheat himself with swings ... Does not like knee-high strikes and will take most pitches down ... Will chase up the ladder ... Plays the outfield with abandon ... Wilkerson on his former fans in Montreal: "We're still somewhat their team" ...
* Luis Ayala: Doesn't walk hitters but occasionally leaves his fastball over too much of the plate ... Kind of short-arms the ball, making for a difficult arm angle ... Excellent movement on his two-seam fastball, which he controls very well ... He'll throw it so that it rides up and away from lefthanded hitters ...
* Chad Cordero: Still just 23, the CS-Fullerton grad has hit his stride this season ... Good low-90s fastball with plenty of late zip; the four-seamer is his out pitch ... Rares back from a crouching position, kind of like David Cone ... Throws a hard slider away from righties ... One-eighth Cherokee, earning him the tired and predictable nickname of "Chief" ... Fiery competitor who pulls his cap down very low, a la Dave Stewart ...
* Marlon Byrd: Acquired from the Phillies for Endy Chavez after a disappointing tenure in Philadelphia ... Long swing with gap power ... Waits well on breaking pitches ...
* Tony Armas, Jr.: Tries to backdoor righties with a two-seam fastball in the low 90s ... Doesn't have the stuff to compensate when he falls behind in the count, so it's really important for him to get ahead ... His slider hangs occasionally -- it's the root of his gopher-ball problems ... Generally speaking, he's much less of a groundball pitcher these days ... When he starts his slider knee-high, it's effective because it breaks late ...
* Gary Majewski: The scraggly-haired righty was once a (returned) Rule 5 selection by the Jays ... Likes to work in on the fists of lefthanded hitters with a tailing 93-mph fastball ... Works righties with a slider away ... Likes to paint the corners and coax harmless contact; he's not really a challenge-the-hitter strikeout guy ...
* Vinny Castilla: Playing very well in Washington ... Has already collected eight game-winning RBI ... Stands incredibly close to the plate ... Likes the ball down and in and will pull them with a big uppercut swing ... With two strikes, begins to think about right-centre ... Chases down and away, especially breaking stuff ... Has played a good defensive third base despite the poor RFK Stadium infield ... Oft-maligned, but will be remembered as one of Mexico's finest hitters ...
* Jamey Carroll: Small strike zone, as he hits in a deep crouch ... Opens up quickly on inside pitches ... Punch-and-Judy hitter, but a good one ... Fast but not always alert on the bases ... Prefers the ball in ... Trouble catching up with good fastballs ... He's 31 years old, surprisingly ...
* John Patterson: Hurt his back while doing some off-day throwing, Patterson will miss tonight's start but could get the call on Sunday ... Throws big, looping curve as his signature pitch ... If Patterson still can't go, Robinson will start Tomo Ohka, Zach Day or Jon Rauch ...
But there are still two series to play this year, and Frank Robinson's Nats are playing inspired ball of late, parlaying quality starts, a tough bullpen and a solid middle of the order into victories despite a slew of injuries (most notably to Jose Vidro). The good news for the Jays is that John Patterson's achy back means the Jays get an unrested pitcher today, and likely an untested pitcher on Sunday. In between, the Doctor is in on Saturday.
This week's Scout features a resurgent corner infield, an anomalous outfielder and a closer putting it all together.
On to the Advance Scout!* General: Coming off a 5-2 homestand, the Nats are a very respectable 23-18 ... The Expos went 9-14 in Toronto over the years ... Reflecting good luck and a good bullpen, D.C. is 8-5 in one-run games ... Washington's staff has a fine 3.47 ERA in May ... In 20 of their last 23 games, Washington's starting pitcher has allowed three runs or fewer ... The Nationals have neither hit a grand slam nor a three-run homer so far this year ... Jose Vidro is still several weeks away with a painful high ankle sprain ... Joey Eischen has a broken right arm and Terrmel Sledge is out after undergoing right hamstring surgery ... Postgame interviews involving the Nationals have regularly featured words like "heart" and "guts" lately ...
* Nick Johnson: As patient as ever, and healthy for once ... Picks his pitch and is dangerous when ahead in the count ... Long swing but he's excellent at off-speed pitches and can catch up to heat when it's out over the plate ... Likes pitches up and away ... Lefties can lock him up with breaking pitches in, or down and away ... Seems to be trimmer than his Yankee days ... Good reactions at first ...
* Jose Guillen: Bothered by sore ribs, Guillen sat out the Milwaukee series but should be ready to go tonight ... Menacing presence in the batter's box ... Can drive the ball to all fields, as he extends well on pitches over the plate ... Thinks right-centre and adjusts to pitches in ... Violent swing that causes him to pull his head off fastballs up in the zone -- high heat is his Kryptonite ...
* Hector Carrasco: Veteran one of many Nats relievers to find his game this season ... Warren Sawkiw speculated that Carrasco might get the ball on Sunday to start, but he's likely to stay in the 'pen ... Good riding fastball that he runs away from lefties to coax pop-ups and fly outs ... Throws a so-so sinker ... Does not hold runners well ...
* Claudio Vargas: Will be pitching on just two days' rest after getting shelled on Tuesday ... Works up in the strike zone and is very prone to the longball ... Throws strikes and likes to be aggressive in getting strike one ... Usually throws a low-90s fastball without too much movement, but can dial it up to 94 or so ... Good tight slider that he throws down and in to lefties ... He's no Roger Clemens, but he's got a similar delivery ... He's 1-0, 2.84 in three appearances against the Jays ...
* Ryan Church: Lovely-looking swing ... Stays down on knee-high fastballs very well ... Great bunter and likes to bunt for a hit -- watch for it if Aaron Hill gets playing time at third ... Prefers the ball down and can therefore be frozen by 12-to-6 curves ... Big, big trouble with lefthanded breaking stuff ... Doesn't always take the best path to the ball in the outfield ...
* Brian Schneider: Stays closed at the plate and can drive pitches on the outer half the other way ... Usually selective ... Keeps his head down on the ball well ... Will chase fastballs up the ladder ... Not easy to strike out ... Can handle the bat and bunt ... Choppy swing leads to plenty of soft liners ...
* Cristian Guzman: Keeps his hands very low and has a slap opposite-field swing that's almost Otis Nixon-like ... Hacks away early in the count ... Not as good a bunter as you would guess from his skill set ... Has been atrocious from the right side of the plate, where he really has trouble with outside strikes ...
* Brad Wilkerson: The rarest of breeds: A lefty who's started to really mash lefties ... Seems to pick up on lefthanded breaking stuff really well, and drive it. It helps that he loves the ball in ... Will go the other way ... Good baserunner with a good first step out of the batter's box ... Very strikeout-prone but doesn't cheat himself with swings ... Does not like knee-high strikes and will take most pitches down ... Will chase up the ladder ... Plays the outfield with abandon ... Wilkerson on his former fans in Montreal: "We're still somewhat their team" ...
* Luis Ayala: Doesn't walk hitters but occasionally leaves his fastball over too much of the plate ... Kind of short-arms the ball, making for a difficult arm angle ... Excellent movement on his two-seam fastball, which he controls very well ... He'll throw it so that it rides up and away from lefthanded hitters ...
* Chad Cordero: Still just 23, the CS-Fullerton grad has hit his stride this season ... Good low-90s fastball with plenty of late zip; the four-seamer is his out pitch ... Rares back from a crouching position, kind of like David Cone ... Throws a hard slider away from righties ... One-eighth Cherokee, earning him the tired and predictable nickname of "Chief" ... Fiery competitor who pulls his cap down very low, a la Dave Stewart ...
* Marlon Byrd: Acquired from the Phillies for Endy Chavez after a disappointing tenure in Philadelphia ... Long swing with gap power ... Waits well on breaking pitches ...
* Tony Armas, Jr.: Tries to backdoor righties with a two-seam fastball in the low 90s ... Doesn't have the stuff to compensate when he falls behind in the count, so it's really important for him to get ahead ... His slider hangs occasionally -- it's the root of his gopher-ball problems ... Generally speaking, he's much less of a groundball pitcher these days ... When he starts his slider knee-high, it's effective because it breaks late ...
* Gary Majewski: The scraggly-haired righty was once a (returned) Rule 5 selection by the Jays ... Likes to work in on the fists of lefthanded hitters with a tailing 93-mph fastball ... Works righties with a slider away ... Likes to paint the corners and coax harmless contact; he's not really a challenge-the-hitter strikeout guy ...
* Vinny Castilla: Playing very well in Washington ... Has already collected eight game-winning RBI ... Stands incredibly close to the plate ... Likes the ball down and in and will pull them with a big uppercut swing ... With two strikes, begins to think about right-centre ... Chases down and away, especially breaking stuff ... Has played a good defensive third base despite the poor RFK Stadium infield ... Oft-maligned, but will be remembered as one of Mexico's finest hitters ...
* Jamey Carroll: Small strike zone, as he hits in a deep crouch ... Opens up quickly on inside pitches ... Punch-and-Judy hitter, but a good one ... Fast but not always alert on the bases ... Prefers the ball in ... Trouble catching up with good fastballs ... He's 31 years old, surprisingly ...
* John Patterson: Hurt his back while doing some off-day throwing, Patterson will miss tonight's start but could get the call on Sunday ... Throws big, looping curve as his signature pitch ... If Patterson still can't go, Robinson will start Tomo Ohka, Zach Day or Jon Rauch ...
