Turner to start tonight vs. Pirates, Harper finally homers at PNC Park

PITTSBURGH - The Nationals have been trying to get Jacob Turner back into their rotation for a few weeks now, only to be forced to keep him in a relief role that has been more of an immediate need for the club.

Tonight, they'll finally be afforded the opportunity to put Turner on the mound in the first inning.

Turner will start the second game of the Nationals' series against the Pirates, named late last night by manager Dusty Baker after some careful consideration.

It will be Turner's second start for the Nats this season - he allowed three runs in six innings on April 24 at Coors Field - and his eighth overall appearance. He pitched both Saturday and Sunday out of the bullpen, totaling 1 2/3 innings and 30 pitches.

The Nationals were prepared to use Turner out of the bullpen again Tuesday night if a need arose, though that was a last resort and they had him preparing as though he would start tonight. Had he not been available for this one, the club likely would have needed to recall Joe Ross from Triple-A Syracuse, where the right-hander has a 6.10 ERA in four starts.

Erick Fedde proved not to be an option to start this game, with the Nationals deciding to try using their top pitching prospect out of the bullpen at Double-A Harrisburg as a potential precursor to a promotion to the majors sometime this summer.

Fedde had a rocky relief debut Tuesday night. Pitching the seventh inning for the Senators, he allowed one run on one hit (a double) and a walk, uncorked a wild pitch, allowed a double-steal and struck out two batters.

* Bryce Harper's two-run homer in the top of the ninth Tuesday night was appreciated by the Nationals, who used that blast to extend a two-run lead into a four-run lead. But it was significant for other reasons, as well.

With that home run - a laser that traveled 419 feet and left his bat at 113 mph - Harper has now homered in all 15 current National League ballparks. (Yes, he got the brand-new SunTrust Park in Atlanta last month.)

Harper has now homered in 23 total ballparks. He has played one series a piece at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Progressive Field in Cleveland, Comerica Park in Detroit and Minute Maid Park in Houston without homering, and he has yet to play a game at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Globe Life Park in Arlington or Target Field in Minnesota.

He knew PNC Park was the only NL stadium he hadn't homered in yet.

"Yeah, I've known that for years," he said. "Coming in, you're always wanting to hit a homer, but that's not the only thing on my mind. I was trying to have good at-bats and do everything possible to get on base and help my team win. I'm happy to be able to scratch it off the list."

PNC Park is especially enticing for left-handed sluggers because the Allegheny River is reachable down the right field line. (Harper's homer Tuesday night nearly left the park altogether and might have bounced into the river if it had.) But Harper insisted a splashdown isn't on his mind when he plays here.

"Nah, I mean I can go anywhere," he said with a shrug. "So it doesn't really matter. I mean, I'm just being serious. I don't really worry about hitting a ball in the water or anything like that. Matt (Williams) used to say: 'It's not how far, it's how many.' I'm just trying to put the ball in play, and sometimes it goes over the fence."