Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper Extends Hit Streak To 18 Games With 9th HR Saturday.

• Friday Night In HagerHarperstown: Washington Nationals' outfield prospect Bryce Harper was 1 for 4 Friday night, singling in his third at bat before he was picked off and thrown out at second. The single, however, gives Harper hits in 17-straight, though the 1 for 4 lowers his average slightly to .390 (46 for 118) on the season. After 33 games, the 18-year-old Nevada-native has a .390/.467/.686 slash with 11 doubles, eight HR's, 30 RBI's, 17 walks, 28 K's, 6 stolen bases and 23 runs scored. 19-year-old right-hander and 2010 4th Round pick A.J. Cole got the start for the Suns on Friday, giving up two hits, two walks and one run, an earned one, while striking out four in his second start for Hagerstown. The Suns score four early and hold on for the 4-3 win over the Lakewood BlueClaws in the first game of a four-game wrap-around series on the road at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood Township, NJ. 

• Could Harper do it again on Saturday?

• Brad Meyers' Second Triple-A Start?

• Who Will The Nationals take with their first 1st Round pick year?

• Saturday In Lakewood County, NJ: 

Bryce Harper was 0 for 2 with two K's in his first two at bats this today against the BlueClaws and right-hander Garrett Claypool, a 22-year-old 2010 12th Round pick by the Phillies. The third time up, in the Suns' seventh, Harper gets hold of a first-pitch fastball that he destroys! Leadoff opposite field HR to left and a 1-0 Suns' lead. Harper's 9th HR of 2011 stretches his hit streak to 18-straight games. Harper singles in his fourth at bat, 2 for 4 with a HR, single and 2 K's on the day. 

2010 12th Round pick Robbie Ray got the start for the Suns today, throwing 6.0 scoreless in which he gives up two hits and walk while recording 7 K's. That's 12.0 scoreless in his first two starts for the Suns in which Rays' given up just two hits. 13 K's for the 19-year-old left-hander.

• Brad Meyers' Second Triple-A Outing: 

'07 5th Round pick Brad Meyers, who was called up to Triple-A Syracuse last week following six starts and 36.1 IP for the Double-A Senators in which he allowed 35 hits and 10 runs, all earned while recording 38 K's without issuing a walk. Meyers walked one batter in his Triple-A debut, but earned the W with 5.0 IP in which he gave up five hits and four earned runs. Five K's and one walk last time out, this afternoon, Meyers throws 7.0 scoreless allowing four hits, no walks and recording eighth K's. 

The story of the day in Syracuse, however, Michael Aubrey, the Nats' 29-year-old outfielder who goes 4 for 4 with four, count'em four HR's and 7 RBI's on the day. Aubrey's four HR's were his first four this season. A two-run HR in the first, a solo shot in the third, three-run blast in the fourth and a leadoff blast in the seventh. Box Score: Chiefs 11, Bulls 0.

• 2011 Draft: Will Yoder at The Nats Blog had an interesting article this morning examining University of Kentucky right-hander Alex Meyer after both ESPN's Keith Law and Baseball America matched the Nats and Meyer up in recent Mock Drafts. ESPN.com's Mr. Law, in an article (for INSIDERS only) entitled, "Cole goes first in modified mock draft", qualifies that the mock draft offers an "educated guess" based on what they know of each of the team's preferences heading into the draft, but he writes that Washington, "originally thought they'd get Meyer with the 23rd pick, which they got as compensation for Adam Dunn signing with the White Sox, but Meyer has pitched way too well down the stretch for that to happen. If they want Meyer they'd have to take him here."

Baseball America offers no explanations for their picks, but they too match the Nats up with the 6'9'' , 220 lb U of K right-hander. The Baseball Rumor Mill's profile on Meyer describes him as, "possess[ing] electric stuff, including a high-velocity fastball and an excellent curveball, with his changeup and two-seam fastball developing."