May 3, 2009 (AOL Weblogs delivered byNewstex) --by Tom Fornelli To anybody who has had a chance to see San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg it's pretty clear the kid is the best player available in the amatuer draft this summer. 

Alameda Little League 

Shairon Martis delivered a rare highlight in an otherwise dismal start to the season for the Washington Nationals. 

It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but the St. 

It's perhaps a measure of flattery, a backhanded compliment, that Jordan Zimmermann can have a subpar night and still have his manager and his teammates offer plaudits for the way he pitched. 

The struggles of theWashingtonNationals' bullpen are prolonged and well-documented - seven blown saves this season, five losses in the past three weeks when the team was tied or ahead going into the eighth inning, a 5. 

May 1, 2009 (Baltimore Sun delivered byNewstex) --The Triple-A Norfolk Tides received big offensive contributions from several players to defeat the Scranton/Wilkes-BarreYankees. 

WASHINGTON - TheCardinals have Brian Barden and Joe Thurston, two "rookies" forming an effective third-base platoon. 

WASHINGTON - Dennys Reyes resides in Phoenix and brought his wife and three children to St. 

The Nationals avoided a sweep with an 8-1 win over the Mets on Sunday, but they have continued to struggle with the same issues that led them to 13 losses in their first 16 games this season. 

--LHP Joe Beimel pitched an inning for Class A Potomac (Woodbridge, Va. 

The Washington Nationals didn't have many bad things to say about Jordan Zimmermann in his first major-league loss, a night they felt had as much to do with Albert Pujols as anything the rookie did. 

The Nationals avoided a sweep with an 8-1 win over the Mets on Sunday, but they have continued to struggle with the same issues that led them to 13 losses in their first 16 games this season. 

1. 

The St.