There are a lot of pitchers out there who can claim the fame of dominating the Washington Nationals.
Tim Hudson is one of them.
Hudson gets his fifth opening day nod tomorrow against the Nats in their new shiny downtown park. Against the Nats, Hudson has been unstoppable. In eight starts, he’s gone 5-1 with a 1.09 ERA. Let’s hope he retains that stellar earned-run average.
He will face former Braves southpaw Odalis Perez, who was 8-11 in 26 starts for the Royals last season. Sorry, but Perez doesn’t scare me, and I expect an explosion of offense from the Braves.
What I will be keeping my eye on is the progression of shortstop Yunel Escobar, who had a scorching spring. We must also watch Mark Kotsay and Matt Diaz, two new starting outfielders for the Braves. The Braves outfield is pretty thin, with Gregor Blanco the only guy available to jump in if one is injured, according to the Braves depth chart. We know the Braves have some young guys who can come in, and some choices in the minors, but the health of that outfield and the performance of the two newcomers are keys to a successful season.
Check BravesNuWorld tomorrow for live, regular updates of the game.
Dan[BravesNuWorld]
Filed under: Team News | Tagged: Atlanta Braves, Braves opening day, Gregor Blanco, Mark Kotsay, Matt Diaz, Odalis Perez, Tim Hudson, Washington Nationals, Yunel Escobar
