Washington Nationals: Drew Storen Closes Out Stephen Strasburg's Win.

A few innings after Stephen Strasburg's first minor league start had ended, the Washington Nationals' second '09 1st Round pick pitcher Drew Storen was called upon to get the final out of the eighth, with a runner on first, and he allowed Altoona Curve outfielder Miles Durham to steal second base before a ground ball from Curve shortstop Josh Harrison to Harrisburg infielder Pedro Lopez at short ended the inning with Storen's Senators still ahead ahead 5-4 and his fellow 1st Round pick, pitcher Stephen Strasburg's first minor league W in tact. Storen signed quickly after being drafted last June, so while Strasburg held out til moments before the deadline then began working his way into shape last fall, before making his first start in the Nationals' system this afternoon, the 22-year-old former Stanford Cardinal closer was busy barnstorming the team's affiliates, making 28 appearances and recording 11 saves with a (2-1) record, 1.95 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9 and 11.9 K/9 in 37.0 IP at Class-A Hagerstown, Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg. 

Storen's 12th professional save came courtesy of a quick 1-2-3 ninth in which he got the first batter swinging, got a weak grounder to first and finished the Curve off with a backwards K that preserved Strasburg's first curly-W and earned the Nats' future closer his first S of 2010 in his second appearance this season. Sure Strasburg's every pitch was catalogued in detail in nearly every publication following the Nats, and it's hard to find even so much as a pitch count for Storen, but that's how it's been from day one, when Storen was selected nine slots behind the Nats' future ace. But Storen was just as impressive this Spring and he's likely to be getting the call to make his debut alongside his '09 Draft classmate sometime in early June, so this figures to be just the first of Strasburg's wins he'll be asked to close out in the next few years. I guess we, as Nats fans, all have Aaron Crow to thank for that...oh, and that Bowden guy, never did figure out whose fault that was...

2010 Draft Note: 

After going 2 for 7 with his 13th HR of the season in a doubleheader on Friday night against the South Idaho Golden Eagles, the presumptive top pick of the 2010 Draft, College of Southern Nevada catcher Bryce Harper was a combined 3 for 6 with 2 HR's (14,15) and 4 RBI's in two CSN Coyotes' wins over the Golden Eagles on Saturday as Harper's Coyotes improved to 34-6 on the season with only 8 games remaining on the schedule. The 17-year-old phenom is now hitting .422 (54 for 128) in 39 games played, over which he's collected 13 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR's and 42 RBI's while slugging .891 and posting a .516 OBP (1.407 OPS), with 25 BB, 25 K's and 12 stolen bases. Is Harper destined to join Strasburg and Storen as another future National? Nats fans are about two monts away from finding out...