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WASHINGTON – The Orioles seem to have everything in the Battle of the Beltways.They have an actual fanbase, a better ballpark, a brighter future, courtesy of Matt Wieters, and a sunnier present, thanks to Adam Jones and Nick Markakis.
They even have wins in the first two of six meetings between the downtrodden franchises this year.
Baltimore is farther along in its grand rebuilding scheme than the Nationals in every way ... except one: It doesn't have anyone with the ceiling of Ross Detwiler in its major league rotation. At least not yet.
Detwiler, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, made just the second start of his big-league career Saturday night. He's still waiting on his first victory, but there's little question that he's one of the biggest silver linings for a dreary 12-30 Nationals team.
"I feel pretty good," Detwiler said after limiting the Orioles to one hit and one run over six innings. "There's things to work on, but it's good so far."
The left-hander now has 10 strikeouts in 11 innings and an impressive 2.45 ERA, but it's the way he's going about it that has the Nationals feeling so excited.
"What I'm impressed about is the stuff he's showing," manager Manny Acta said. "That's what we envisioned when we drafted him."
The stuff? A mid-90s fastball that Acta said touched 95 mph on numerous occasions and a sweeping curveball in the mid-70s that should enable Detwiler to succeed by missing bats instead of relying on smoke and mirrors.
The southpaw lost his way a bit last season after earning a September callup months after he was drafted in 2007, posting a 4.86 ERA in 124 innings at High-A Potomac and struggling often with his command. Wherever he went, he seems to have found his way back, and that's huge for a floundering franchise grasping desperately for any reason to be optimistic.
Detwiler and fellow 2007 draftee Jordan Zimmermann have had varying degrees of success this year for a Washington pitching staff that has been largely a wasteland for pitching talent the last few years, hinting that perhaps the Nationals will soon sport a rotation that is, if not enviable, at least competent.
The offense is very quietly third in the National League in runs scored.
Now about that bullpen ...
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