Byron Kerr

Solis adds traditional curve to pitching repertoire

November 03, 2011, 3:04am

Scottsdale Scorpions left-hander Sammy Solis has the stuff: a lethal, high-velocity fastball and mesmerizing changeup. Since high school, he has featured a rarely seen knuckle-curve taught to him by his father Bob, who was a southpaw at Notre Dame. But as the competition got better and he had trouble throwing the knuckle-curve for strikes, Solis, pitching for the Nationals in the Arizona Fall League, realized he would have to make a change to be successful at the next level. "It has always...

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Bryce Harper, Derek Norris named to AFL Rising Stars Game

November 01, 2011, 1:12pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper, Derek Norris named to AFL Rising Stars Game

Two of the topNationals prospects, Bryce Harper and catcher Derek Norris, have been named to the East squad for the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game set to be played Saturday night in Surprise, Ariz., according to the league's Twitter account. The AFL Rising Stars game is Saturday at 8:10 p.m. Eastern time at Surprise Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the MLB Network. Norris has had a tremendous fall season behind the plate for the Scottsdale Scorpions, batting .356 in 13 games...

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Lehman believes adjustment is helping delivery; also working on slider

November 01, 2011, 10:19am

Nationals

Lehman believes adjustment is helping delivery; also working on slider

Scottsdale Scorpions right-hander Patrick Lehman believes the mechanical adjustment recently implemented by pitching coach Paul Menhart is having a positive effect on his delivery. "(Menhart) observed a bad habit coming from where my legs were positioned," Lehman said. "I needed to throw in more of a downhill plane instead of a straight line. My focus was to stay tall and throw down more." He did not see the results instantly, but said sometimes it takes time for an adjustment to...

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Lannan: Johnson is "best out there to lead us"

October 31, 2011, 10:56am

Nationals

Lannan: Johnson is "best out there to lead us"

Nationals left-hander John Lannan, coming off his first 10-win season, was very pleased to hear that Davey Johnson will return as manager for 2012. Lannan said he was impressed with the way Johnson kept the Nationals going after Jim Riggleman abruptly resigned in late June. "It is great (to see Davey back)," Lannan said. "Davey inherited a tough situation. He said he was never a man to quit. He stuck with us. The way we played at the end of the season (winning 15 of our last 20 games),...

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Nationals' 2012 interleague schedule no easy task

October 30, 2011, 9:44pm

Nationals Orioles

Nationals' 2012 interleague schedule no easy task

The Nationals got on their biggest roll in 2011 when they feasted on Seattle, Baltimore and the Chicago White Sox in June. It was one of the many reasons that factor into how a season plays out: the strength of schedule. The Nationals won 15 of their final 20 games to finish with at least 80 wins for the first time since 2005. Those two runs turned out to be crucial in the 80-81 finish. The Nats were able to post winning records of 17-10 in June and September. Ironically, Washington was able...

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Solis gets even better, Lehman rebounds, Harper homer streak

October 30, 2011, 4:00am

Nationals

Solis gets even better, Lehman rebounds, Harper homer streak

Scottsdale left-hander Sammy Solis built on last week's solid performance with a gem Saturday, pitching four innings, allowing one unearned run, scattering five hits, striking out five and walking two. Solis left with the game tied at one, and did not factor in the decision. Salt River eventually won 4-3 over Scottsdale. He also picked off a runner. Solis faced 18 hitters, ending up with 71 pitches, 45 for strikes. His ERA fell to 5.21. Reliever Patrick Lehman came in a pitcher later and...

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Solis looking to put back-to-back consistent outings together

October 28, 2011, 6:25pm

Nationals

Solis looking to put back-to-back consistent outings together

Left-hander Sammy Solis bounced back from a pair of starts where he allowed a total of eight runs by pitching five innings with just two runs allowed in his last outing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Tonight, the University of San Diego product makes his fifth start as the Scorpions entertain Salt River. Scorpions pitching coach Paul Menhart reports Solis has been hitting between 92 and 96 mph with his fastball and the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder looked back in a groove...

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Nationals adjust Lehman's mechanics in effort to break slump

October 27, 2011, 9:10am

Nationals

Scottsdale Scorpions reliever Patrick Lehman has lost three straight in the Arizona Fall League and pitching coach Paul Menhart believes he's found out what has been going wrong. Lehman got through his first two AFL appearances with the Scorpions unscathed. However, over the last four outings, the George Washington product has allowed 11 runs,10 of them earned, on 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Menhart, the pitching coach for the Single-A Potomac Nationals, thinks a mechanical issue in Lehman's...

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Rafael Martin doing all the right things in Arizona (plus Harper update)

October 26, 2011, 6:04pm

Nationals

Rafael Martin doing all the right things in Arizona (plus Harper update)

Despite the Scorpions' 5-13 last-place record, Scottsdale right-handed reliever Rafael Martin has pitched well this month in the Arizona Fall League. The San Fernando, Calif., native has pitched six relief innings over four games since Oct. 11, allowing just one run on four hits, with two walks and five strikeouts, for an impressive 1.50 ERA. Scorpions and Potomac Nationals pitching coach Paul Menhart said Martin is "one of the bright spots overall on the pitching staff and really stands...

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Could Tyler Moore be Nationals' version of Rangers' Mitch Moreland?

October 25, 2011, 9:19am

Nationals

Watching Game 5 of the World Series on Monday and seeing Texas Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland crank a crucial solo home run, it reminded me of a conversation I had with Baseball America national writer Aaron Fitt comparing the Rangers' young player with the Washington Nationals' Tyler Moore. There are similarities between the two sluggers, except for what side of the batter's box they step in to. One hits lefty (Moreland) and the other is a righty (Moore), but both played college ball...

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Solid Solis leaves with lead, gets AFL no-decision

October 25, 2011, 12:27am

Nationals

Solid Solis leaves with lead, gets AFL no-decision

Scottsdale left-hander Sammy Solis had a consistent outing Monday, staking the Scorpions to a 3-2 lead through five innings of an 8-4 setback at the Peoria Javelinas of Arizona Fall League play. Solis allowed only two runs, struck out three, scattering four hits with one walk. He threw 63 pitches, 44 for strikes. He did hit one batter and had a pickoff attempt that turned into an error, got a no-decision. Solis had a clean first, setting down the Javelinas 1-2-3. The second inning saw...

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Goodwin makes "huge strides" at instructional league

October 23, 2011, 9:52pm

Nationals

Goodwin makes "huge strides" at instructional league

Brian Goodwin was selected in the sandwich round at No. 34 in June's draft by the Nationals and was hailed for his speed and defensive tools in center field. The former University of North Carolina outfielder put on an impressive display of his talents during instructional league in Viera, Fla., this month, according to Nationals director of player development Doug Harris. "Goodwin made huge strides at instructs," Harris said. "The last three days, he put together some of the best at-bats...

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Nationals draft rated No. 1: Rising talent level in system not going unnoticed

October 22, 2011, 9:24am

Nationals

The Nationals saw it in September with callups Chris Marrero, Stephen Lombardozzi, Brad Peacock and Tommy Milone making significant contributions to a run that resulted in a 15-5 record in the final three weeks of the season. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said the increased number of Triple-A players that did well in the big leagues is a prime example of how the organization is starting to stockpile quality prospects. Harris said he noticed the difference at...

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Nationals adjust Meyer's delivery during instructional league work

October 21, 2011, 6:36am

Nationals

University of Kentucky pitcher Alex Meyer had an excellent instructional league camp with the Nationals in Viera, Fla., and now prepares for his first professional season. The 6-foot-9, 220-lb., right-hander struck out 110 hitters in 101 innings last season with the Wildcats, and features what the Nationals call three plus pitches: a fastball, slider and change up. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said the 23rd overall selection in June's draft did not have too much...

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With Walters playing third base, could Rendon wind up at second?

October 19, 2011, 10:31pm

Nationals

With Walters playing third base, could Rendon wind up at second?

Scottsdale catcher Derek Norris had a big game at the plate Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBIs in Mesa's 6-5 win over the Scorpions. Norris is now batting .286. He also scored a run, stole a base (his second of the Arizona Fall League season) and connected on a two-out RBI. Norris talked to me this week of how his swing had become "free and easy" in Arizona and he was less hesitant at the plate than he felt in Double-A Harrisburg at times this past season. Zach...

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Ex-Yankees prospect Garcia making big impression after a pair of Tommy John surgeries

October 19, 2011, 5:19am

Nationals

Ex-Yankees prospect Garcia making big impression after a pair of Tommy John surgeries

The Nationals took a chance two years ago with a former Yankees pitcher coming off a major shoulder surgery. Chien-Ming Wang paid dividends for the Nationals' patience with a tremendous return to the big leagues, winning four of his last five decisions, and gaining his confidence and strength back. He had 16 strikeouts and no walks in his final four starts. Several times this summer with the Nats, Wang looked like the back-to-back 19-game winner from New York in 2006 and 2007. Once...

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Norris "free and easy" at plate after struggles at Harrisburg

October 17, 2011, 10:45pm

Nationals

Norris "free and easy" at plate after struggles at Harrisburg

Scottsdale Scorpions catcher Derek Norris has made some adjustments to his approach at the plate that have made a positive difference as he wraps up his 2011 season in the Arizona Fall League. Norris hit .210 in 104 games with 334 at-bats for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators this season. He had 17 doubles, one triple, 20 homers, 77 walks and 46 RBIs. Norris said playing in the Arizona Fall League this month has been good for his season. "I prefer this than to go out of the country to play...

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Outfield an "option" for Nationals' power-hitting prospect Tyler Moore

October 16, 2011, 5:23pm

Nationals

After hitting 31 homers in back-to-back seasons, first baseman Tyler Moore is the hottest young power hitter in the Nationals organization. Moore hit 15 homers in his first two professional campaigns, and then exploded for 62 in his last two seasons at Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg. With first base locked in at Triple-A Syracuse by Chris Marrero, and because of Adam LaRoche's presence in D.C., the Nationals decided to try out Moore in the outfield during instructional league this...

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Purke goes two innings in Arizona debut; Scottsdale drops 8-7 decision

October 15, 2011, 11:21pm

Nationals

Purke goes two innings in Arizona debut; Scottsdale drops 8-7 decision

Scottsdale Scorpions left-hander Matt Purke pitched two innings following Red Sox prospect Brock Huntzinger in Saturday's 8-7 loss to the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. Purke fired 38 pitches, 20 for strikes, allowing one run on one hit, one walk and striking out one. He induced two groundouts and two flyouts. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said Friday that this is one of the ways we might see Purke pitch in Arizona, as a "piggyback" to Huntzinger's...

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Prospect Purke in Arizona, to work out of bullpen with Scottsdale

October 14, 2011, 10:11am

Nationals

Prospect Purke in Arizona, to work out of bullpen with Scottsdale

Nationals draft pick Matt Purke has arrived in Arizona and is now available to pitch for the Scottsdale Scorpions after a successful instructional league camp in Viera, Fla. The 96th overall selection, a left-hander out of TCU, will work out of the bullpen in Arizona, according to Nationals director of player development Doug Harris. Harris said Purke will usually get one or two innings of work, with Single-A Potomac Nationals pitching coach Paul Menhart, the Scorpions' pitching coach,...