Peacock's slight adjustment keys pitching consistency

One of the best stories of the season has been the rise of right-handed starter Brad Peacock with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. Peacock has been stifling opposing hitters, going 8-2 in 12 starts (14 games). Opponents are hitting just .182 against the Miami, Fla., native, and Peacock has notched 114 strikeouts, which leads the Eastern League by a wide margin. The 23-year old Peacock also is tops in victories (8-2) and third overall in ERA (2.28) in the entire league. Alongside No. 1 prospect Bryce Harper, Peacock will represent the Nationals' system in the Futures Game July 10 in Phoenix, kicking off the All-Star week festivities. His most recent start Friday night was a perfect snapshot of what Peacock can do. In a no-decision, Peacock went 6 2/3 innings with five hits, no runs, one walk and six strikeouts. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said that Peacock has learned to make key adjustments that have put his game over the top. "It is a credit to (Peacock)," Harris said. "It is also a credit to all our pitching coaches in particular Paul Menhart, Randy Tomlin and Spin Williams. They have done a tremendous job with him. They have made some real slight, but significant, delivery tweaks that have really helped his deception and enabled him to leverage the ball more consistently." Harris said Peacock has turned a corner that every future major league hurler needs to get to and that is mastering the art of confusing the batter. "He is becoming a pitcher," Harris said. "He has always had great stuff but he is really starting to understand sequences and how to set guys up and finish guys off." Similar to Steve Lombardozzi and Derek Norris (full season), Peacock started 2010 with the Single-A Potomac Nationals, representing the strength of depth currently moving up the Nationals' chain.