I didn't get a chance to write about this in last night's game story, because I didn't hear about it until after our deadline had passed, but Mets starter Nelson Figueroa wasn't too happy with some things going on in the Nationals' dugout during Washington's 10-4 win.

Apparently, a few players (led by Elijah Dukes) started up a clapping, rah-rah chant in the dugout during the third inning as the Nats were rallying. After the game (in which Figueroa was pounded for six runs in five innings), the journeyman right-hander said the following:

"They were cheerleading in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls. I'm a professional just like anybody else. I take huge offense to that. If that's what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it. They could show a little more class, a little more professionalism now that they won tonight, but in the long run, they're still who they are."

Whoa! Nelson Figueroa? Really? The same guy with the career 9-20 record and 4.71 ERA who until this season last appeared in the big leagues in 2004?

It'll be interesting to see if there's any residual effect at tonight's game. Whether there is or isn't, though, there could be a bit of a rivalry brewing between these two teams, even if the Nats are in Figueroa's words "a last-place team." That would be the same last-place team that nearly single-handedly knocked the Mets out of first place in the NL East down the stretch last year.

There's obviously plenty of familiarity between the two dugouts, too, with Brian Schneider, Ryan Church, Marlon Anderson and GM Omar Minaya having previously played/worked for the Expos/Nats, and Lastings Milledge, Paul Lo Duca and manager Manny Acta having previously played/worked for the Mets.

A little healthy rivalry might spice some things up.