A Look At Tonight's Starters

Tonight at 7:10, the (6-3) Mets take on the (2-8) Nationals at Shea Stadium. Here's a look at the pitching matchup for tonight:

Mike Pelfrey (0-0 0.00)

The 6-foot-7 right-hander won the job as the Mets' fifth starter in Spring Training. With three early off-days, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft was left behind in Florida and worked six innings for Class A St. Lucie on Saturday. Pelfrey, a standout at Wichita State, pitched at four levels in his pro debut last season, going 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA in four starts for the Mets. He didn't face the Nationals.

John Patterson (0-2 9.35)

Patterson will face the Mets for the 13th time in his career. He is 1-2 with a 5.18 ERA against them. Patterson is looking to break a personal two-game losing streak. Pitching coach Randy St. Claire warned that the righty is going to have some tough moments early in the season because he is still building arm strength. St. Claire said it was expected from a guy who had missed most of 2006 because of an arm injury.