The game almost seems anti-climactic today, what with all the excitement of the draft, the possible arrival of the inherent savior of the franchise, and his sidekick, the guy nabbed in the #10 spot.
We'll know by game time how both picks sort out, and if the Nats happen not to take Strasburg with the number one overall pick, expect plenty of effigies of Stan Kasten floating around the ballpark.
Wait, strike that. The only people in the park if that happens would be Reds fans.
The Reds are without Joey Votto, tending to personal issues, and Edwin Encarnacion, with a wrist injury. Edinson Volquez in also 0n the DL with a hand injury.
CINCINNATI REDS (29-27, 3rd in NL Central--3.5 games back; one-game losing streak)
Taveras - CF
Hairston - 3B (.182 in 22 at bats in his last seven games)
Phillips - 2B
Hernandez - 1B
Gomes - LF
Bruce - RF
Gonzalez - SS
Hanigan - C
Cueto - P
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (15-40-1, 5th in NL East--18 games back; one-game losing streak)
Guzman - SS (6-for-22 in his last seven games)
Johnson - 1B
Zimmerman - 3B
Dunn - LF
Dukes - RF
Harris - CF
Hernandez - 2B
Bard - C
Detwiler - P
STARTING PITCHERS
WAS: Ross Detwiler (20.2 IP, 0-2, 5.23 ERA, 17 Ks, 6 BBs)
CIN: Johnny Cueto (74.0 IP, 5-3, 2.43, 53 Ks, 20 BBs)
WEATHER
Warm & humid, chance of evening t-storm. First pitch: 84F. Last out: 79F. Chance of rain 40%. In other words: Summer.
Sure you know this by now, but Nieves started instead of Bard.
yup, thanks.
the lineup i got was straight from the Nationals, but when we got to the park we saw Nieves warming Detwiler up. Randy Knorr said Nieves was always starting, so it must have been a communcations problem internally.