WASHINGTON -- Sometime during the postseason, the Nationals will likely face a slugging left-handed hitter in a key late-inning situation. When this happens, manager Dusty Baker will have to make a vital decision: Which left-handed reliever to call on?
Washington's lefty relief corps has undergone a makeover. For most of the year, the Nationals carried three southpaws in the bullpen, but in July and August, Felipe Rivero was traded, Sammy Solis got hurt and Oliver Perez began to struggle. Washington quickly traded for Marc Rzepczynski and Sean Burnett.