John Patterson was decent. Joel Hanrahan was downright dominant.
Check out this pitching line: 3 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 8 k.
Yep, Hanrahan struck out eight of 10 batters he faced, including his final seven. And these weren't scrubs at the plate, unless you consider Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira, Jeff Francoeur, Javy Lopez (OK, he probably counts as a scrub these days) and Yunel Escobar scrubs.
Even before this game, a couple of us scribes were discussing whether or not Hanrahan might have a shot to make the Opening Day roster as a long reliever. This performance can only help his cause.
Hanrahan's been kind of a forgotten man in camp this spring, because he was moved from the rotation to the bullpen after a wildly inconsistent 2007. But the guy's got an arm, you have to admit that. And if he can harness his power, he can be downright nasty. So maybe there's a future for him in a big-league bullpen.
Meanwhile, the Nats still lead the Braves, 2-0, now heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Comments (4)
Nothing says roster spot like a 97 mph fastball with location. I find the amazing thing the fact that I have trouble figuring whom to cut. The team is significantly better this year, at least on paper.
Posted by Positively Half St. | March 11, 2008 9:38 PM
Thanks for the great reporting.
Posted by Bethesda Fan | March 11, 2008 9:42 PM
After listening to Hanrahan's night over the radio, I believe in miracles now.
Posted by Michael | March 12, 2008 12:59 AM
What odds would give Hanrahan heading north as a starter?
Posted by Montreal Expos of Washington | March 12, 2008 5:53 AM