Nationals Farm Authority

Here is the new assignments of pitching coaches based upon the promotion of Steve McCatty to Washington:

• Rich Gale from Hagerstown to Syracuse
• Franklin Bravo from Vermont to Hagerstown
• Joel Sanchez from the GCL Nationals to Vermont
• Mark Grater from Rehab Pitching Coordinator to the GCL Nationals

And here is Bill Gluvna’s weekly Minor League Report

Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, International League North Division 20-22, 4th Place, 8.0 Games Back

• COLLIN’S BALLIN’: RHP Collin Balester is 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA (2 ER/23.0 IP) and just 6 walks in his last 4 starts…in those outings, he has held opposing batters to a .197 (15-for-76) batting average against…on Monday vs. Gwinnett (Braves), Balester fired 7.0 shutout innings of 3-hit ball to earn the win…he has allowed 3 runs or less in 8 of 11 starts overall…Balester, 22, made 15 starts at the big league level last season with Washington.
• PAPER CLIP(PARD): RHP Tyler Clippard has not allowed an earned run in 10.1 consecutive innings (7 games), beginning May 18…in 17 relief appearances, Clippard is 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA and a .179 BAA…the 24-year-old has worked more than 1.0 inning on 13 occasions…he made 2 spot starts with the Nationals last season, going 1-1 with a 4.04 ERA…Clippard was acquired from the Yankees in exchange for RHP Jonathan Albaladejo, December 5, 2007.
• Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Month – May
• INF Brad Eldred – batted .327 (34-for-104) with 11 doubles, 6 homers and 18 RBI in 29 games.
• RHP J.D. Martin – went 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA (9 ER/33.2 IP) and a .208 BAA in 6 starts.

Double-A Harrisburg Senators, Eastern League Southern Division14-34, 6th Place, 18.5 Games Back

• AN ARN(ESEN) AND A LEG: RHP Erik Arnesen is a combined 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) with Harrisburg and Single-A Potomac…since his promotion to Harrisburg on May 11, he is 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA (6 ER/19.0 IP) and 23 strikeouts in 5 games (4 starts)…Arnesen, 25, went 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA (16 ER/32.1 IP) in 6 starting assignments with Potomac.
• GIVE ‘EM HECK, ZECH: RHP Zech Zinicola has allowed only four earned runs over 19.1 innings (1.86 ERA) in 16 games this season…he is a perfect 5-for-5 in save opportunities…Zinicola, 24, has offered scoreless relief in 13 appearances…Zinicola, selected in the 6th round of the 2006 Draft out of Arizona State University, was tabbed as Washington’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2006.
• Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Month – May
• OF Mike Daniel – went 23-for-85 (.271) with 4 doubles, 4 triples, one homer and 16 RBI in 25 contests.
• RHP Erik Arnesen – posted a 3.60 ERA (10 ER/25.0 IP) with 23 strikeouts and just 6 walks in 5 games (4 starts).

Single-A Potomac Nationals, Carolina League Northern Division28-21, 2nd Place, 5.0 Games Back

• OSCAR MEYERS: RHP Bradley Meyers leads Carolina League starting pitchers with a 1.72 ERA…in his most recent start, Friday at Lynchburg (Pirates), Meyers fanned 8 and walked 2 in 6.2 innings of one-run ball…Meyers, 23, was selected in the 5th round of the ’07 Draft out of Loyola Marymount University (CA).
• MT. EVERTS: RHP Clint Everts is 2-0 with 2 saves and a 1.02 ERA in 11 appearances…he has struck out 24 in 17.2 innings of work, an average of 12.2 strikeouts per 9.0 innings…Everts, 24, owns a 4.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio (24 SO/5 BB)…he has held opponents to a .185 BAA…the Cypress, Texas native was Montreal’s first-round pick in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.
• ESP - EXTRA-SPECIAL PLAYER: SS Danny Espinosa is batting at a .406 (13-for-32) clip with 3 doubles, 3 homers, 6 RBI, 8 runs scored and 7 walks in his last 9 games…the 21-year-old has reached base safely via hit, walk or HBP in 41 of 48 games this season…he leads the P-Nats in doubles (12), homers (9), runs (33), total bases (84), walks (29) and OBP (.386)…Espinosa entered the season as the Best Defensive Infielder among Nationals prospects according to Baseball America…he was selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Long Beach State University.
• Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Month – May
• 1B Chris Marrero – collected a team-best 28 H, including 2 2B, one 3B and 3 HR while tallying 17 RBI in 25 games.
• RHP Jeff Mandel – went 4-1 with a 3.26 ERA (11 ER/30.1 IP) with a .181 BAA in 5 starts.

Single-A Hagerstown Suns, South Atlantic League Northern Division23-26, 7th Place, 7.0 Games Back

• MARCO(S) POLO: RHP Marcos Frias is 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA (7 ER/33.0 IP) and 32 strikeouts in his last 5 starts…overall, he has 44 strikeouts against just 10 walks (4.4 SO/BB ratio) in 9 starts…Frias, 20, signed with Washington as a minor league free agent, March 5, 2007.
• LOMBAR(DOZZI) SUPPORT: 2B Steven Lombardozzi, who was a 19th-round selection in last June’s Draft, paces the SAL with 37 runs scored…he is hitting .291 with 9 doubles, one triple, one homer, 18 RBI and a .380 OBP in 47 games overall.
• Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Month – May
• C Derek Norris – hit .370 (37-for-100) with 8 doubles, 8 homers, 29 RBI, 14 walks in 28 games.
• RHP Marcos Frias – went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA (6 ER/26.0 IP), 28 strikeouts and just 5 walks in 5 starts.