Looking out at the field Saturday night you got to witness the future of the Nationals. You also got to witness the first fruit of a Nationals' system rebuilt by the likes of general manager Mike Rizzo and staff over the past few seasons. There was a lot of home grown talent on the field for first pitch against the New York Mets. Left-hander Tommy Milone was making his major league debut. He was on the mound. Shortstop Ian Desmond and second baseman Danny Espinosa were a tandem built from...

Even though left-hander Tommy Milone did not get the victory or the loss Saturday, he certainly left his mark in his major league debut with the Washington Nationals. Milone lasted 4 1/3 innings on the mound and gave up four runs, setting down the first seven hitters he faced and striking out two. But the most dramatic moment for Milone came in the bottom of the second inning when he launched a three-run homer off of Mets starter Dillon Gee that easily cleared the right field wall and dropped...

It was the moment the Nationals were hoping for in the ninth against the Mets. Down 7-6, after leading 5-0, it appeared Washington might be headed to a painful loss after New York had rallied twice to take the lead. The Mets brought in Bobby Parnell and Jesus Flores greeted him with a single into left field. Brian Bixler pinch ran for him and Parnell uncorked a wild pitch while facing pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes. Bixler went to second and Gomes was walked. After Ian Desmond battled to lay down...

The Nationals rallied in the bottom of the ninth off reliever Bobby Parnell to stun the New York Mets 8-7. Jesus Flores led off with a base hit to left field and was replaced by pinch runner Brian Bixler. Bixler then got to second base on a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Jonny Gomes walked to put men on first and second with no outs. The Mets then intentionally walked Roger Bernadina to face Ryan Zimmerman. Yes, that Ryan Zimmerman. Ryan Zimmerman talks on the field with Debbi about his...

Pedro Strop, acquired from the Rangers on a waiver claim that sort of qualified him as a player to be named later, struck out two Rays during a perfect eighth inning tonight. I know very little about Strop besides how he was signed by the Rockies as a shortstop and became a pitcher four years later. I heard he threw in the mid-90s and had a live arm, which is much better than having a dead one. Strop fanned B.J. Upton and Sean Rodriguez tonight, and retired Casey Kotchman on a fly ball to...

Coming into tonight's game the Orioles had given up just 11 runs to Tampa Bay in seven games this year at Tropicana Field. Tonight, B.J. Upton drove in five runs by himself. Upton's big night - he had a two-run double and three-run double - led Tampa Bay to a 6-3 win over the Orioles on Saturday night. The loss was the O's 82nd and clinched a losing record for the Orioles for the 14th consecutive season. Jim Hunter talks with Buck Showalter about the Orioles' 6-3 loss to the Rays The...

Making his major league debut already one to remember, Nationals left-hander Tommy Milone hit a three-run homer into the right field bullpen in the second inning to give Washington a 5-0 advantage. Early on, things looked good for Milone. He fired 13 pitches, 10 for strikes in a 1-2-3 first frame, getting a groundout and a pair of flyouts against Jose Reyes, Justin Turner and Lucas Duda. He also enjoyed a three up, three down second inning, which included his first major league strikeout of...

Nationals left-hander Tommy Milone came out with precision in his major league debut against the New York Mets Saturday night at Nationals Park. He fired 13 pitches, 10 for strikes in a 1-2-3 first frame, getting a groundout and a pair of flyouts against Jose Reyes, Justin Turner and Lucas Duda. The Nationals led off their half of the first with a home run curving just around the inside of the left field foul pole by Ian Desmond, against Dillon Gee, and the Nationals lead, 1-0. It was the...

Brian Matusz was skipped in the rotation tonight, but manager Buck Showalter told reporters in St. Petersburg that the left-hander will start Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. So much for a long wait. Alfredo Simon is taking the mound tonight. Hopefully, he'll still be there when MASN2 begins to air the game at 7:06 p.m. It's a Fox window issue, and I don't mean Jake. But anyway ... Matusz is 1-7 with a 9.07 ERA this season. He's 2-4 with a 3.65 ERA in six career starts against New...

The Nationals announced they have selected the contract of left-hander Tommy Milone from Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs and he will start Saturday night in his major league debut against the New York Mets. The 24-year old Milone went 12-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 24 starts this season with Syracuse. He struck out a league-best 155 batters and yielded only 16 walks in 148 1/3 innings. To make room for Milone on the 40-man roster, first baseman Adam LaRoche, recovering from shoulder surgery, was...