Giolito notches first high Single-A win; updates on Janssen, Rendon, Davis and others

Last week it was a new career high in strikeouts.

This week it's his first high Single-A victory.

His teammates took care of that for him with a nice comeback.

Right-hander Lucas Giolito (1-2) also went a season-high seven innings and fired 87 pitches. This is a rarified air for the kid the Nationals have been uber careful with since he recovered and returned from Tommy John surgery.

Giolito notched nine strikeouts and allowed three earned runs, walking none. He threw 63 of his 87 pitches for strikes.

He has pitched 4 1/3, six and now seven innings in his first three Carolina League starts. He also threw seven innings last season on July 2 for low Single-A Hagerstown.

Since that so-so debut, Lucas Giolito has struck out 20, walked one over 13 innings at Potomac. #Nats https://t.co/qWSQqmeK6J

-- Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) May 21, 2015

Potomac beat Carolina 4-3 to win the series and improve to 17-22.

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Right-hander Casey Janssen (right shoulder inflammation) tossed a scoreless eighth inning for Double-A Harrisburg in a rehab assignment. He appears to be very close to being activated.

Third baseman Matt Skole had two homers and three RBIs Tuesday night. He has totaled seven homers and 20 RBIs in the Senators' first 36 games.

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Right-hander Erik Davis (right elbow surgery) made his first appearance with Triple-A Syracuse since 2013, pitching a scoreless fifth inning. Davis struck out two and allowed one hit.

The right-hander allowed only one hit and struck out four before Manny Delcarmen replaced him in the fifth inning.

Davis made his first appearance for the Chiefs since being optioned to Triple-A on May 18th. He threw a stellar inning against Lehigh Valley. The right-hander allowed a hit and struck out two in his first appearance back with Syracuse since 2013. Davis pitched in 10 games for the Nationals that same season.

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Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (oblique strain) was at Nats Park again Wednesday, taking part in baseball related activities. As he raced between workouts he quickly passed by reporters in the clubhouse. I asked him how he was feeling. He said, "Terrible!" He was kidding, of course. With Rendon's sense of humor activated, hopefully, the baseball player will be back soon, too.