Pérez to Bring 'Attitude' to 1st Start

"I want the ball. I want to be out there Opening Day," said Nationals left-hander Odalis P¿rez, who had a 5.87 ERA the past two seasons. (By Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)
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Pérez said if he seemed rattled in the past, it's because he was. In 2006, Grady Little took over as the Dodgers' manager. Though Pérez didn't mention Little by name, he did say "my confidence went down a little bit."

"After I was there for four years, and I get the ball every five days, and they let me pitch my six, seven, eight innings, nine innings," he said. "The last time I was there, it was different because I go three or four innings, and I get in trouble and just right away, [they] get the ball away from me and bring somebody else."

Pérez believes that will change in Washington, though Acta has extreme confidence in his bullpen, and the Nationals' starters worked fewer innings than any rotation in the National League. Acta, though, would love to take pressure off his relievers from the first day of the season, and Pérez believes "Manny has confidence in what I got."

"Now, my confidence since I came over, it's better," Pérez said. "I feel better. I feel more comfortable. And if I can take that to the season, I know I can go a lot of innings."

The 2007 Nationals did not have a pitcher throw more than Chico's 167 innings. Pérez hasn't topped that number since 2004, back in his heyday with the Dodgers.

"It doesn't matter," Corrales said. "He can do it. He's more mature now."

Thus, when he gets the ball Sunday night, Pérez will take it, as he said, with attitude. His presence does not make for a marquee matchup. Frankly, he does not care.

"I want the ball," he said. "I want to be out there Opening Day. I want to be out there because I know what Manny's put in my hands. That's a lot of responsibility."