Rookie hurler delivers shutdown performance as Astros square World Series

Rookie hurler delivers shutdown performance as Astros square World Series
Rookie pitcher José Urquidy pitched five shutout innings and Alex Bregman hit a grand slam Saturday night as the Houston Astros tied the World Series with an 8-1 win against the Nationals in Game 4. The Astros win guarantees the best-of-seven series, tied at two games apiece, will have a Game 6 on Tuesday in Houston. Game 5 is Sunday night at Nationals Park with the Astros' Gerrit Cole pitching against Max Scherzer, a rematch of Game 1. Urquidy, 24, who was the Astros' opening day starter...

Astros hurler Brad Peacock began career with Nats (plus AFL update)

Astros hurler Brad Peacock began career with Nats (plus AFL update)
Right-hander Brad Peacock made a big splash in the World Series in Game 3, recording a save with 3 2/3 scoreless innings. He also appeared in the dramatic Game 5 last night, allowing two runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings. If the name sounded familiar, you are correct. Peacock was a 41st-round draft pick of the Nationals in 2006. He pitched for the Nats in 2011 and went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA. He has pitched 91 games with the Astros since 2013. Peacock remembered how the Nationals treated him...

Looking back on the Gio Gonzalez trade

Looking back on the Gio Gonzalez trade
There's a tendency for fans to judge every trade made on its face value in the moments immediately after the deal is consummated and announced. This can be tricky, since raw emotion, rather than careful consideration, takes over. It's often better - and more useful - to judge a trade in three ways: immediate impact, short-term results and long-term gains or losses. Yes, it's natural to have an opinion once a deal is struck. But how a deal plays out for the coming season, even a few seasons...

Nationals work on goal of getting younger at higher levels

Nationals work on goal of getting younger at higher levels
The accelerated development program has its obvious goals. It is first and foremost an opportunity to get some of the best prospects in the organization in one place at one time for an extended period of spring training, surrounded by the top coaches to "speed up" the learning process. But one other reason is pretty clear when looking at the talent and youth in the 24 pitchers in the program. The last few seasons, the Nationals have traded away some top pitching prospects and now they are...

A year later, a look at the Gio Gonzalez trade

A year later, a look at the Gio Gonzalez trade
Just a little over a year after being shipped out to Oakland as part of the Gio Gonzalez trade, Brad Peacock finds himself switching organizations yet again. Peacock, the former Nationals right-hander who was a key piece in the Gonzalez deal last January, was traded to the Astros last night in a five-player deal that will send infielder Jed Lowrie to the Athletics. The trade threw a minor wrench into Peacock's plans to make a cross-country drive from West Palm Beach, Fla. to Phoenix, where...

Menhart critical to maintaining pace in Harrisburg

Menhart critical to maintaining pace in Harrisburg
The Nationals were faced with a major decision in their system this offseason when Harrisburg Senators pitching coach Randy Tomlin stepped down from his post. The Nats had already had to adjust to the promotion of Randy Knorr from Triple-A Syracuse manager to bench coach with the Nationals. Tony Beasley was elevated from Double-A Harrisburg to Syracuse to replace Knorr. At Harrisburg, the Nationals moved quickly and promoted Paul Menhart from Single-A Potomac to pitching coach with the...

Norris ready for "new opportunity" with the Oakland A's

Norris ready for "new opportunity" with the Oakland A's
Catcher Derek Norris, one of the four top prospects traded last week and considered one of the highest-rated backstops not yet in the majors, believes he can contribute right now with his new team, the Oakland Athletics. Norris has been the prized possession of the Nationals' revamped minor league system, and each season has continued to develop his defense. Norris has jumped from Single-A Potomac Nationals to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators, working on his ability to call games and his...

41st-round pick Peacock thankful Nationals "treated me like a first-rounder"

41st-round pick Peacock thankful Nationals "treated me like a first-rounder"
Right-hander Brad Peacock is excited about the new challenge of pitching in the American League with the Oakland A's and is very thankful for his time and experience with the Nationals. The trade was made official Friday. Gio Gonzalez and one minor league pitcher Robert Gilliam were acquired by the Nationals in exchange for Peacock, Tom Milone, Derek Norris and A.J. Cole. "I was surprised," Peacock said. "(But) it is definitely a good thing. I know the Nationals wouldn't steer me wrong....

After Gonzalez trade, what's left in Nationals' system?

After Gonzalez trade, what's left in Nationals' system?
The announcement of the blockbuster trade drew a few gasps at the prospects the Nationals gave up to get left-hander Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland A's. Those prospects represented among the top players in the franchise's coveted minor league system, according to Baseball America. Specifically, Brad Peacock (No. 3), A.J. Cole (No. 4), Derek Norris (No. 9) and Tom Milone (No.16 in 2010) were considered among the best the Nationals had to offer. This deal was pretty much the package the...

Price was high, but Nats finally get workhorse arm in Gio Gonzalez (updated)

Price was high, but Nats finally get workhorse arm in Gio Gonzalez (updated)
There are all kinds of reasons to make a trade - you're trying to fill a hole, you're trying to loosen a positional logjam, you need to create a pathway for a promising young player. The Nationals' acquisition Thursday afternoon of left-hander Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland A's in exchange for four prospects solves a glaring need in the Washington rotation: someone to log lots of innings and take the pressure off younger starters coming off injuries. Both sides have agreed in principle to...

Peacock's role gaining importance as free agent market dwindles

Peacock's role gaining importance as free agent market dwindles
The Nationals were disappointed at not being able to land their offseason prized pitching free agent, Mark Buerhle. There has not been much positive movement on the possibility of the Nats inking veteran Roy Oswalt to round out a talented and young starting rotation. So where does that leave pitchers like Ross Detwiler, Brad Peacock and Tom Milone? Do they have a better chance of making the roster? Without a solidified rotation, is the door then more wide open for them to make a huge...

No bid on Darvish; now what's the Nats' pitching plan?

No bid on Darvish; now what's the Nats' pitching plan?
According to a baseball source, the Nationals were not one of the teams to place a bid on Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish through the posting process, which ended at 5 p.m. Wednesday. That takes the Nationals out of the mix for a right-hander, who is described as the best pitcher not currently in the major leagues and helps to better explain general manager Mike Rizzo's hesitance to address the subject publicly. The news was first reported by The Washington Post. If Darvish isn't in...

Baseball America's top Nats prospects - No. 3: Brad Peacock

Baseball America's top Nats prospects - No. 3: Brad Peacock
In 2011, right-hander Brad Peacock had one of the best overall seasons of any minor league pitcher in the Nationals' short history. Peacock went an incredible 15-3 with a 2.39 ERA in 23 starts in the minor leagues. In 146 2/3 innings, Peacock fanned 177 batters. Then in September, Peacock continued his dominance with the Nationals, going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in three games with two starts. He allowed a single run in 12 innings of work. Baseball America has watched Peacock steadily climb the...

Nationals draft rated No. 1: Rising talent level in system not going unnoticed

Nationals draft rated No. 1: Rising talent level in system not going unnoticed
The Nationals saw it in September with callups Chris Marrero, Stephen Lombardozzi, Brad Peacock and Tommy Milone making significant contributions to a run that resulted in a 15-5 record in the final three weeks of the season. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said the increased number of Triple-A players that did well in the big leagues is a prime example of how the organization is starting to stockpile quality prospects. Harris said he noticed the difference at...

Rizzo: Nationals' pitching depth necessary currency to pull off major trade

Rizzo: Nationals' pitching depth necessary currency to pull off major trade
The Nationals' September call-ups of left-hander Tommy Milone and right-hander Brad Peacock signal a big step in the organization from a talent perspective. Since the Nationals arrived in D.C., never has the team been able to bring up a pair of starters at this point of the season who show they are ready to pitch right now at the major league level. Couple that with the resurgence of Ross Detwiler, the re-emergence of Chien-Ming Wang and steady pitching of veteran John Lannan, and general...

Success of call-ups with Nationals not going unnoticed by prospects

Success of call-ups with Nationals not going unnoticed by prospects
September has been a good month for the Nationals as the season winds down and a great deal of the credit for the surge goes to the youth infusion from Triple-A Syracuse and the return of fireballer Stephen Strasburg. Pitchers Strasburg, Tommy Milone and Brad Peacock have been very impressive: Strasburg with an ERA below 1.30 and back-to-back wins for Milone and Peacock at Citi Field in New York last week, are signals that the Nationals' pitching staff is in good hands for seasons to...

Peacock was quietly selected in the 41st round, but his game is far from silent

Peacock was quietly selected in the 41st round, but his game is far from silent
Sshhhhh! Nationals pitcher Brad Peacock is a pretty quiet guy. Even his dad admitted on MASN's game coverage last week during his first major league start, "Brad doesn't get too excited out there." But Peacock is not quiet enough to not want to clear a few things up. He is not from Miami, Fla., but from Wellington, closer to West Palm Beach and 73 miles north of South Beach. He is also not a Miami Hurricanes fan. He prefers the Florida Gators. They never offered him a baseball...

Peacock's resiliency throughout career led him to first major league win

Peacock's resiliency throughout career led him to first major league win
Right-hander Brad Peacock got his chance to showcase what kind of a starter he was all season in the minors Wednesday in New York, and he did not disappoint. Last week in relief of Stephen Strasburg, he came into a difficult situation and allowed four hits in 1 1/3 innings. You wondered what it would be like for Peacock to start fresh, at the beginning of a game, and be able to control his surroundings from the outset. Well, he showed you what he could do. With five innings of shutout...

Peacock knows he doesn't need to rush delivery to be effective

Peacock knows he doesn't need to rush delivery to be effective
Nationals pitcher Brad Peacock gave up a couple of hits and a walk in his major league debut, but didn't let that bother him. He still felt very good about his first outing. After all, he was excited and nervous during his first start with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs back on July 16. He settled down following that game and reeled off five straight wins from July 22 to August 29. Peacock said during those last few weeks, Syracuse pitching coach Greg Booker helped him to calm down on the...

Peacock unfazed by four hits allowed in Nationals debut

Peacock unfazed by four hits allowed in Nationals debut
You really had to feel for Nationals prospect Brad Peacock. He made his major league debut in less than ideal conditions. He had to follow Stephen Strasburg. Doug Slaten allowed two hits and tallied one out in front of him. On a cold and rainy Tuesday night, the Nationals top strikeout artist in the minors allowed four hits, one walk and no strikeouts, including a two-run single by the Dodgers Andre Ethier that tied the game at 3. In 1 1/3 innings, Peacock was charged with one earned run....