Nats look to continue the streak at home

Stammen – P (RHP, 3-6, 5.24)

Home Sweet Home:

The Nats are 10-3 at home since they were swept in a four-game series against the Cubs from July 16th to the 19^th. The .769 home winning percentage is tied for third in the Majors since July 20th.

The Nationals have won an MLB-best eight straight games here in DC to establish the club mark for most consecutive wins at Nationals Park, which opened last year. Here is a look at the Nationals’ top win streaks in DC since baseball returned to the Nation’s Capital in 2005:

Rank   Win Streak     DC Ball Park             Dates

1.         12                    RFK                            June 2-25, 2005

T2.        8                    Nationals Park           July 25-present

T2.         8                    RFK                            July 21-August 5, 2007

MacDougal is a safe bet:

In 25 appearances since ascending into the Nationals closer role by recording the final two outs in a 3-2 win on June 17 against the Yankees, Mike MacDougal has successfully converted 13 of 14 save opportunities. He can thank his confidence in his ferocious fastball for the turn around, the pitch he throws almost every time. It is quite the contrast to the start of the 2009 season. MacDougal started the season with the White Sox but struggled to hit his spots and threw his slider more than 50 percent of the time. That changed when he was released by the Sox and signed a Minor League deal with the Nationals. He pitched for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs when then Chiefs pitching coach Steve McCatty, now the Nationals pitching coach, told MacDougal to have faith in his fastball. It saved his season. He has a 2.27 ERA (8 ER/31.2 IP) and a .218 (24-for-110) batting average against in 33 games with the Nats.

The Best Days of Summer:

The Nationals are 11-4 in the month of August. Washington’s .733 winning percentage in August ranks third in MLB behind only the Cardinals (11-3, .786) and Yankees (12-4, .750). There are still 14 August contests to play and the Nationals are just four wins shy of clinching their first winning month since going 15-12 in September of 2007. They won nine games in May, June and July.

Getting it Dunn:

Adam Dunn has recorded 15 game-winning RBIs this season and trails only the Giants Bengie Molina (18). Since the beginning of the 2008 season, Dunn’s 31 GWRBI are ranked third in MLB:

Rank   Player                         GWRBI (2008-09)

1.         Prince Fielder              33

2.         Bengie Molina             32

3.         Adam Dunn               31