NATIONALS NOTEBOOK
With Hill Out, Lannan Makes An Impression
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Monday, April 7, 2008
ST. LOUIS, April 6 -- Washington Nationals left-hander John Lannan gave an encouraging 6 2/3 -inning, two-run performance in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
"He's tough," catcher Paul Lo Duca said. "That kid's going to be a good pitcher in this league for a long time if he throws like that. . . . He's not scared."
Lannan was promoted from Class AAA Columbus to make Sunday's start in place of the injured Shawn Hill, but his performance will make him difficult to demote. He said he was nervous leading up to the start, but he remained composed -- even after walking the first man he faced and allowing runs in the first and third.
"Coming up here and first start, you're always nervous a little bit," he said. "You're trying to get comfortable."
Lannan struck out four and walked three. He has allowed three or fewer runs in five of his seven career starts.
Taking Control
Pitching coach Randy St. Claire showed reliever Jesús Colome, who has seven walks in his last two appearances, video of himself from early last season, when he was dominant, and compared it with video of his last two outings. Colome, St. Claire said, is rotating his upper body too much, a mechanical flaw that causes his arm angle to drop. His fastballs thus sail out of the strike zone, and his breaking pitches are flat.
St. Claire wants Colome to cut down on the rotation, which might drop his velocity but increase his control.
"I'll take 94, 93 with location rather than 97 and not knowing where it's going," St. Claire said. . . .
Golden Spikes, a racehorse in which Lo Duca has a 40 percent ownership stake, ran a strong second to upset winner Recapturetheglory in Saturday's Illinois Derby, a prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Lo Duca said the ownership group and trainer must now decide whether to enter the horse in the Derby, which runs May 3.
"Obviously it'd be a thrill to go to the Derby," Lo Duca said. "But you don't want to hurt the horse. You want to make sure it's the right thing for the horse."
