Straight from the laptop of Bill Gluvna, the Nationals' coordinator of baseball media relations, here is the organization's weekly minor-league report, which we present uncut, unfiltered and unabridged for your reading pleasure...

THIS WEEK'S TOP HEADLINE
P-NATS PITCHING IN: Entering today's action, the Potomac Nationals of the Single-A Carolina League own the 7th-best ERA (2.92) in minor league baseball...Potomac relievers have a 2.68 ERA (49 ER/164.1 IP) while the starters have allowed 70 earned runs in 203.0 IP (3.10 ERA)...the P-Nats lead Washington affiliates in wins (27), ERA, and shutouts (5).

Triple-A Columbus Clippers
International League West Division
25-22, 3rd Place, 5.0 Games Back
MASTER DE CASTER: INF Yurendell de Caster is 20-for-66 (.303) with 14 runs scored, 4 home runs, 13 RBI and a .413 on-base percentage in 20 May games...de Caster, who signed as a minor league free agent in the off-season, is batting .296 (32-for-108) with 4 homers and 21 RBI in 31 games since being promoted from Double-A Harrisburg April 19...overall, he is hitting a combined .305 with 8 homers, 37 RBI and a .403 OBP in 46 games with Harrisburg and Columbus.

MOCK TRIAL: RHP Garret Mock owns a 3.00 ERA (8 ER/24.0 IP) in 4 starting assignments in May...he has struck out 16 and walked just one in that span...the 25-year-old is 2-2 with a 3.77 ERA and a 3.6 SO/BB ratio (33 K's, 9 walks) in 8 starts...he is scheduled to make his next start Friday vs. Buffalo (Indians)...Mock was acquired from ARI with LHP Matt Chico in exchange for RHP Livan Hernandez, August 7, 2006.

Double-A Harrisburg Senators
Eastern League Southern Division
26-15, T-First Place, 0.0 Games Ahead

CORY IN ALL HIS GLORY: LHP Cory VanAllen is a combined 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 8 games (7 starts) with Harrisburg and Potomac...among minor league starters, the Baylor University product ranks 3rd with a .161 (23-for-143) batting average against and 7th in ERA...he is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA (4 ER/ 18.2 IP) through his first 3 career starts at the Double-A level... VanAllen, who was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 First-Year-Player Draft, is scheduled to make his next start Friday at Connecticut (Giants).

ZIMMERMANN WITH TWO N's AT THE END: RHP Jordan Zimmermann earned his first Double-A victory Sunday at Erie (Tigers), holding the SeaWolves to 3 earned runs in 6.2 innings, fanning 8 and walking just one batter...in a combined 7 appearances (6 starts) with Harrisburg and Potomac, he is 4-2 and is 2nd among Washington minor leaguers with 43 strikeouts (47, Tyler Clippard) and a 2.04 ERA (1.17, Cory VanAllen)...Zimmermann, selected in the 2nd round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, has a 3.1/1 SO/BB ratio through 20 games (17 starts) as a professional, fanning 114 against just 30 walks.

OFILIO THE BURN: After going just 5-for-31 (.161) in April, INF Ofilio Castro is batting .438 (21-for-48) in 16 May contests...Castro, 24, is hitting .329 (26-for-79) since being promoted from Potomac April 19.

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Despite missing a week after suffering a concussion, catcher Luke Montz leads the Senators in all 3 triple-crown categories: .330 (29-for-88), 8 home runs, 33 RBI...he has a team-best .659 slugging percentage in 26 games, and his RBI total is good for 4th in the Eastern League...the 24-year-old ranks among Nats farmhands with 8 HR (t-2nd) and 33 RBI (3rd)...selected by the Expos/Nationals in the 17th round of the 2003 Draft, Montz has 67 career homers and 278 RBI in 452 games as a pro.

Single-A Potomac Nationals
Carolina League Northern Division
27-15, First Place, 2.0 Games Ahead
HUGO ROSS: LHP Ross Detwiler allowed just one hit and struck out 9 in 4.0 scoreless innings last night at Wilmington (Royals)...Detwiler, Washington's top pick (6th overall) in the 2007 draft, is 2-1 with a 3.54 ERA (8 ER/20.1 IP) with 24 strikeouts in 4 starts this month...overall, the 22-year-old, who became the first player from the 2007 First-Year Player Draft to reach the big leagues, is 3-2 with a 4.12 ERA in 9 starts.

DON'T DISS CHRIS: OF Chris Marrero is hitting .286 (18-for-63) with 12 runs, 4 home runs and 11 RBI in 17 May games...after committing 6 errors in April, he has played error-free ball this month...Marrero, Washington's 2006 first round pick (15th overall), leads the club with 19 walks and has hit 6 home runs and 19 RBI in 40 games.

NOVOA'S ARK: LHP Yunior Novoa is 2-0 with 2 saves and has tossed 12.0 consecutive scoreless innings spanning his last 7 appearances...he has 16 strikeouts and has not issued a walk in that stretch...Novoa, 23, is 2-0 with 3 saves and a 1.17 ERA in 11 games overall...he owns an 11.5 SO/BB ratio (23 K's and 2 walks), and is limiting opponents to a .177 BAA (14-for-79).

Single-A Hagerstown Suns
South Atlantic League Northern Division
23-22, 5th Place, 6.0 Games Back
IT'S A THRILL TO WATCH BILL: INF Bill Rhinehart leads the South Atlantic League and is tied for 2nd in minor league baseball with 43 RBI...he ranks among the South Atlantic League leaders in doubles (t-1st, 15), total bases (2nd, 92), slugging (3rd, .536), hits (4th, 54) and batting average (7th, .325)...the 11th round pick in last June's draft is hitting .481 (25-for-52) with 7 doubles, 3 homers and 38 RBI with RISP...the University of Arizona product was a 2007 New York-Penn League mid-season All Star.

BURGESS KING: OF Michael Burgess paces the SAL and Washington farmhands with 11 home runs...the 19-year-old has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games, going 13-for-38 (.342) with 7 extra-base hits (4 doubles and 3 home runs) and 5 RBI...Burgess entered the season as the No. 4 prospect and 2nd-best hitting prospect (behind only Chris Marrero) in the Washington chain according to Baseball America.

MR. BOOMBASTIC: OF Boomer Whiting is batting .364 with 18 runs scored, 11 RBI, 9 steals and a .485 OBP in his first 14 games, after beginning the season at extended spring training in Viera, FL...he is 10-for-24 (.416) with 5 RBI and 5 stolen bases in his last 5 games...Whiting, who led the New York-Penn League with 37 stolen bases last season, was selected in the 28th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisville.