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Blue Jays-Nationals Preview

Jun 19, 2009 - 3:51 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Toronto (36-31) at Washington (17-46), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Washington Nationals entered their series at the new Yankee Stadium on pace for one of the worst seasons in major league history.

They exited with a pair of surprising victories, including their first shutout.

To match their longest win streak this season, the Nationals will have to stop the streaking Toronto Blue Jays in Friday night's opener of a three-game home series.

Through 61 games, Washington's 16-45 record matched the 2003 Detroit Tigers, who had an AL-record 119 losses, and the 1962 New York Mets, who set the modern-era mark with 120.

The Nationals had also won six of their last 33 heading into New York, but after blowing a one-run lead in a 5-3 loss Tuesday night, they bounced back for a 3-2 victory the following evening.

After a 5 1/2-hour rain delay Thursday, Craig Stammen earned his first major league victory in a 3-0 win - his team's first shutout since Sept. 16 against the New York Mets.

"I guess (the game) started right on time for me," said Stammen, who helped the Nationals (18-46) win their first series since May 7-9 in Arizona and third this season.

Washington will look to another rookie right-hander Friday, Jordan Zimmermann (2-3, 5.37 ERA), who is searching for his first win since April 26. Zimmermann, 0-3 with a 6.11 ERA since opening his career with consecutive victories, allowed one run over five innings in Saturday night's 8-3 loss at Tampa Bay.

He'll face a Blue Jays offense that's back on track and had 16 hits in Thursday's 8-7 win in Philadelphia, completing a three-game sweep after being previously swept by Florida in three at home.

None of those hits was bigger than former Philadelphia catcher Rob Barajas' pinch-hit solo home run leading off the ninth.

"You try to give your best effort every time," Barajas said. "I have a job to do. If it's against the Phillies or the Royals, you have to produce."

The Blue Jays (37-31) have at least 12 hits in each of their last three games and batted .333 in their three wins over the Phillies. Toronto had hit .205 during its previous four consecutive losses.

Entering the series in Philadelphia, Vernon Wells was hitless in his last 16 at-bats, and Adam Lind didn't have a hit in his last 12. Both finished with six over the three games, including two home runs for Lind. Wells, however, hasn't homered in 153 straight at-bats - his longest career drought.

To beat the Nationals for the seventh time in eight meetings, the Blue Jays will look to left-hander Brian Tallet (4-4, 4.87), who will try to rebound from one of his worst starts of the season. He surrendered eight runs and 10 hits and didn't make it out of the fourth inning in Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Marlins.

Tallet made one career appearance against Washington on June 16, 2007, and recorded one out while giving up one run and two hits.

Toronto has won eight of 12 matchups since the Nationals moved from Montreal in 2005 but dropped two of three in its only other trip to Washington from June 24-26, 2005.