A busier-than-usual day for the Nationals in the AFL, as five of the eight saw action in a 9-3 Scottsdale win over Surprise.
- Steve Lombardozzi returned to 2B and the #2 spot in the order and had a 2-for-5 afternoon with a triple and two runs scored.
He also helped turn two double plays. - Bryce Harper batted sixth and played RF, walking twice (his first two BBs), and scoring two runs in a 1-for-2.
He also collided with the opposing team’s catcher in scoring one of the runs. - Sammy Solis allowed two runs on five hits and one walk over four innings. He also gave up a home run and stuck out one.
- Brad Peacock allowed a run on one hit (triple) while striking out one in his lone inning of work
- Cole Kimball pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing a hit and striking out one , lowering his ERA to 1.13
Adam Foster from Project Prospect was tweeting from yesterday’s game, and besides the Harper takeout play, which he described as “Nobody f’s with Bryce Harper,” he had the following tweets that are of interest:
…[Bryce Harper has a p]lus arm, good instincts, good speed, aggressive. Should be at least MLB average in RF.
…Brad Peacock’s FB last inning: 96, 94, 95, 95, 95, 95, 96, 95.
…If you like SP who command a low-90s FB with movement along with a changeup, you may like Sammy Solis. He has touched 94 today, too.
…Solis has a promising changeup, but his success with it will hinge on his ability to command it.
The only thing I can add is that Peacock’s velocity as a starter was 93-95. It’s not that hard to imagine that if he were being groomed as a setup man, he could could touch 97 or 98 after an offseason of rest and conditioning.