Peacock getting big time attention with masterful performance

Double-A Harrisburg Senators right-hander Brad Peacock had one of those gem outings Friday night. Peacock shut down the Richmond Squirrels, going seven innings, scattering five hits, allowing one run and striking out 14 batters in a 5-2 victory. A Miami, Fla., native, Peacock struck out at least one batter in every inning. He struck out the final five batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said the 23-year old Peacock has taken his game to another level. "It was his best breaking ball and best curve ball that our people have seen," Harris said. "He pounded the strike zone with his fastball. Our pitching coaches have done a tremendous job really helping create some deception in his delivery." Harris says the key to Peacock's recent success has been that the velocity on his fastball and breaking ball are close, so they start looking like one another, confusing the batters. "He has always had that great arm but now that fastball velocity (makes hitters miss)," Harris said. "Hitters don't see it as well. You get that kind of (fastball) velocity with the breaking ball, that is where you are getting a lot of these strikeout, swings and misses. It is a credit to Brad and what he has done and it is a credit to our pitching coaches." Peacock is now 5-1, with a 2.13 ERA in six starts (seven games) this season. He has an incredible 56 strikeouts in those seven games, with only seven walks, spanning 42 and one-third innings. He is 5-0 with a 1.91 ERA as a starter, and his current ERA is less than half of his 4.50 from last season. Not bad for a 41st round pick. Now the question is when is he pitching in Triple-A Syracuse?