Washington Nationals: Sunday AFL Update - Sammy Solis' AFL Debut.

The Washington Nationals inked 2010 2nd Round pick Sammy Solis to a $1M dollar signing bonus on August 16th following a (9-2) season with the University of San Diego in which the 6'5'', 230lb left-hander had walked 29 (2.8 BB/9) and struck out 92 (9.0 K/9) while holding opposing batters to a .233 BAA over 15 G, 14 GS and 92.0 IP. Solis missed most of his sophomore year recovering from a herniated disc in his back, an injury suffered while lifting weights, but he returned for a strong junior campaign and after signing with Washington immediately got his professional career started, making two starts for the Class-A Hagerstown Suns before reporting to the Florida Instructional League where he impressed as he prepared for the Arizona Fall League. 

Solis (pronounced "soh-lease" according to MASNSports.com's Byron Kerr), who turned 22 on August 10th, struggled early in his first AFL outing on Saturday, allowing a leadoff single, an RBI double and a walk to the first three batters he faced before a flyout, groundout and picked off runner ended the first inning with the game tied at 1-1 after Solis' fellow Nats' prospect/Scorpions' teammate Stephen Lombardozzi had staked him to a 1-0 lead, hitting a leadoff double and scoring on an error in the top of the frame. Solis retired the next six batters he faced to finish his first Fall League start with 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER and 1 BB allowed with 1 backwards K collected. 

Solis, who threw 45 pitches, 25 for strikes, featured (according to MLB.com's GameDay) a 90-92 mph four-seam fastball, a two-seamer around the same speed and an 80-82 mph change, occasionally mixing in a 76-78 mph curve. Solis got 5 groundouts and 2 flyouts from the 11 batters he faced and left the game with the score still tied at 1-1. The Nats' '08 16th Round pick, RHP Adam Carr, threw 2.0 scoreless innings in relief, earning the win when the Scorpions took a 6-2 lead following a 5-run 2-out rally in the 7th which saw Lombardozzi, who was hit by a pitch, score to tie it at 2-2 two batters before Nats' catching prospect Derek Norris doubled in the go-ahead run.

Carr (W, 1-0) threw 29 pitches, 16 strikes, in his two hitless innings of work. The 26-year-old right-hander was working with a 91-94 mph four-seam fastball, mid-80's slider and a low 80's changeup. Lombardozzi, who led off for the Scorpions, was 1 for 3 with a double, walk and 2 runs scored. Norris was 2 for 4 with an RBI, one walk, one K and a run scored. Final score, 6-4 Scorpions, who improved 4-1 with the win and will be adding a just-turned-18-years-old Bryce Harper to the roster starting tomorrow.