Top prospects Michael A. Taylor and A.J. Cole outshine Tigers superstars

LAKELAND, Fla. - The future of the Nationals was on display and shining bright in today's 7-7 tie with the Tigers. Center fielder Michael A. Taylor and right-hander A.J. Cole, both 23, helped the Nats get out to an early lead against former American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.

It was the first time Taylor had ever faced Verlander. In his second at-bat, Taylor worked the count full before smacking a solo home run the opposite way over the right field fence.

"That was a pretty good pitch," said Verlander. "You don't see many guys take that pitch and hit it oppo out. It was a perfect pitchers' pitch. It was down and away on the black just below the knees. He just got the barrel on it."

Not bad to impress a former AL MVP in your first meeting. Meanwhile, Taylor modestly described the feat after the game.

"I was just happy to put it in play," he said. "I've been battling, trying to work my two-strike approach and stay short. It was a pitch down and away and I just tried to get the barrel on it and the wind helped me out a little bit."

Manager Matt Williams says contact is paramount for Taylor who's battled strikeout problems early in his career.

"The key for him is to stay on the baseball," said Williams. "If he does that, he's got power to all fields. He can hit the ball over the fence. Those are mistakes and accidents. The more contact he makes the better opportunity he has to do stuff like that. He's powerful. The question for him is consistent contact. And if he can do that, you see what the result can be."

Taylor's day with the long ball wasn't done. In the fourth inning, he launched a Verlander slider over the wall in left-center field and onto the grassy hill at Joker Marchant Stadium. Quite an improvement from his lackluster 0-for-4, four strikeout performance the last time he played the Tigers on Thursday.

"I think I'm feeling a little better than a couple days ago," said Taylor. "I've had a few ups and downs. A couple bad games. I'm really trying to just stay on the fastball, stay with my approach and put together good at-bats."

Cole was busy dealing with another AL MVP of his own. Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera, a two-time winner of the award, made his spring debut today. Cole welcomed Cabrera to the Grapefruit League season with a couple of nasty sliders that fooled the legendary hitter into swinging strikeouts in his first two at-bats.

"It's the first time I ever faced somebody like that so it was kind of cool," said Cole. "I was a little jittery. Too face somebody like that, it's nice."

Williams was impressed after the game with Cole's best outing of the spring. The 6-foot-5-inch righty struck out five with two walks and a hit batter in 3 2/3 innings. The only hit he gave up came on a two-run homer to Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez.

"Fastball was working," said Cole. "I had command of that. Slider that's the one pitch I'm trying to get down. Every once in a while I was leaving the ball up. Fourth inning it just sat in there and spun. But I have to throw it. I'm going to keep throwing it. It's a pitch I need."

In Cole's second big league spring training with the Nationals, he's given up five earned runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts and four walks. All of the runs have scored off four home runs.

"He's throwing his breaking ball for strikes when he wants to, which is good," said Williams. "Change-ups, especially to lefties, he can work on that. Fastball is good. And he goes out and competes."

Third baseman Ian Stewart also tagged Verlander for a solo homer that smacked high off the light pole beyond right field. Not quite Roy Hobbs-like, but it was a massive blast. The seven-year veteran is making a case for himself this spring. He's batting .323 with three homers and five RBIs in 15 exhibition games. He provides versatility with his ability to play both third and second base. He's been able to get more at-bats than expected with Anthony Rendon out of the lineup for the past two weeks recovering from a sprained left MCL.

Lefty reliever Jerry Blevins struck out the side in the seventh, but unfortunately gave up a two-run homer to Tigers catcher Alex Avila. In 6 1/3 innings this spring, Blevins has allowed three runs on two homers. His ERA is 7.11.

"The fact that he has given up a couple homers against lefties is not like him," said Williams. "But he's going to have more outings. It takes time to get your pitches where you want to sometimes."

Second Baseman Yunel Escobar is set to make his Grapefruit League season debut tomorrow against the Yankees at Space Coast Stadium. Williams expects Escobar to play three innings and receive two at-bats.

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg threw in the neighborhood of twenty pitches this morning in a light bullpen session. Williams said Strasburg came out of it fine and still expects him to make two more spring training starts before opening day. Strasburg was scratched from starting today's game after spraining his left ankle during conditioning exercises on Friday.