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9 months ago: The crowd watches the action between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, May 15, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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• Potomac Nationals Weekly Update - 

Anthony Masterson, (Broadcast/Media Assistant with the Class-A Carolina League's Potomac Nationals), has been sending interviews with a variety of P-Nats' players for the last few months, many of whom have found themselves promoted from Potomac shortly after Mr. Masterson introduced them to us by way of the pregame interviews he records for the P-Nats' radio broadcasts and has been willing to share. This week's edition features Tom Milone, a 6'1'' left-hander who was Washington's 2008 11th Round pick (301st overall) out of USC.

In his first 13 games and 10 starts with the Vermont Lake Monsters and Class-A Hagerstown Suns after being drafted last season, Milone was (1-6) with a 3.51 ERA and 49 K's in 59.0 IP. Milone started the 2009 season with the Class-A Advanced Potomac Nationals, going (3-2) in his first 13 games and 11 starts before the Class-A All-Star game, and after a brutal June which saw Milone go (0-1) with a 6.53 ERA in 5 starts and 20.2 IP, Mr. Masterson writes that, Milone recovered, "...with a stellar July" in which he went:

"...3-1 with a 2.84 ERA in six starts, (and Milone's) been just flat out dominant in the month of August.  In three starts, he's 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA.  In 19 1/3 innings, he's struck out 18 and walked just two.  In his last start, he went into first-place Wilmington's ballpark and tossed seven innings, allowing just four hits and one unearned run."

Mr. Milone followed the 8/14 start against the Wilmington Blue Rocks that Mr. Masterson describes with a win last night against the Winston Salem Dash, in a 9-1 game in which he pitched 5.0 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk and just 1 ER on the way to his tenth victory of the season. Milone's now (10-4) with a 3.08 ERA and 90 K's in 24 games, 22 starts and 131.1 IP, and according to Mr. Masterson, he's emerged as:

"...the ace of the P-Nats staff with the promotions of Brad Meyers and Jeff Mandel, and he's pitching his best baseball of the season in the heat of the pennant race."

• Check Out the P-Nats' Anthony Masterson's interview with Tom Milone:

• AUDIO: Potomac Nationals Weekly Update - Tom Milone Interview - Anthony Masterson - (Length: 5:13)

 

Potomac Nationals Weekly Update Archive: (After The JUMP)...

Potomac Nationals Weekly Update Archive:

• 8/7 - Will Atwood Interview - Anthony Masterson.

• 7/26 - Drew Storen Interview - Anthony Masterson.

• 7/23 -  Danny Espinosa Interview - Anthony Masterson. 

• 7/14 - Boomer Whiting Interview - Anthony Masterson.

• 7/8 - Sean Rooney Interview by Anthony Masterson.

• 6/29 - Chris Marrero Interview by Anthony Masterson.

• 6/15 - Stephen King, Will Atwood.

• 6/5 - Cole Kimball, Sean Rooney.

• 5/25 - Chris Marrero, Jeff Mandel, Sean Rooney.

• 5/17 - Tom Milone, Michael Burgess, Chris Marrero.

• 5/12 - Sean Rooney, Francisco Plasencia, Erik Arnesen, Brad Meyers and Jeff Mandel.

• 5/5 - Dan Nelson, Erik Arnesen.