Played 3 collegiate seasons at Rutgers (NJ) University, going 8-4 with a 4.71 ERA in 38 games (13 starts).....Was a member of the school's Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championship team as a freshman in 2000...The following year, participated in the team's 2001 trip to Lincoln, NE as NCAA Regional finalists.....Picked up the win with 5.0 innings of shutout relief vs. St. John's on the final day of the 2002 regular season to propel Rutgers into the Big East Tournament...Pitched for Danbury (CT) in the New England Collegiate League during the summer of 2001...Is a graduate of Manalapan (NJ) High School...Has served as a substitute teacher in the past...Was at Yankee Stadium the afternoon the White Sox Tom Seaver won 300th game with complete-game effort, 8/4/1985.
2010
Pitched out of the bullpen for Triple-A Syracuse after making 4 relief appearances for Washington to begin the season...Allowed runs in 3 of 4 appearances for the Nationals from 4/5-14, posting a 15.43 ERA (4 ER/2.1 IP) in those games...Was designated for assignment on 4/15 and outrighted to Syracuse on 4/23...Remained in Triple-A for the duration of the season and led the International League with 17 holds while posting a 2.84 ERA (16 ER/50.2 IP) in 43 appearances...Tied for the Chiefs lead with 6 wins in relief and topped team hurlers (min. 35.0 IP) with a .221 opponent average (42-for-190)...Held right-handed foes to a .210 clip (21-for-100) and left-handers to a .233 mark (21-for-90)...Fanned 9.95 batters per 9.0 innings (56 K's) with the Chiefs...Held opponents to 1 earned run or less in 40 of 43 minor league outings, including 27 scoreless games...Made his 1st appearance with Syracuse on 5/2 and worked a 1.59 ERA (3 ER/17.0 IP) in the month of May...Did not allow a run in 23 of his 1st 29 outings through 7/18 with a 1.87 ERA (7 ER/33.2 IP) in that time...Posted a 4.76 ERA (9 ER/17.0 IP) the rest of the way.
2009
Pitched exclusively in relief with career-high 56 appearances with Washington, fanning 40 in 48.0 innings...successfully
stranded NL-best 86 percent (43-of-50) of inherited runners...only DET's Fu-Te Ni (915) was better in the AL...beginning
August 29, posted a 0.71 ERA with 4 holds in final 17 appearances...toughened up with runners on base (.230 batting
average against), with RISP (.222) and with the bases loaded (.200).
Game-By-Game Highlights: Win on July 27 at MIL was first since August 7, 2008 at COL, and first in relief since
September 15, 2005 at NYM...with Washington leading 4-1, inherited 2-on, none out jam, but needed just 9 pitches
(F7, 5-4-3 GDP) to escape and earn 5th hold in eventual 9-2 win, August 9 vs. ARI...worked 2.0 scoreless innings to
secure 9th hold in a 2-1 win on Sept. 28 vs. NYM.
In Minor Leagues: Began season with Triple-A Syracuse and went 1-1 with 1.16 ERA in 19 relief appearances during
3 stints...converted 2 of 3 save chances and posted 4 holds...worked 14.0 consecutive scoreless innings spanning 13
scoreless appearances from May 1-June 28.
2008
Capped erratic season going 2-11 with a 5.09 ERA in 30 games (22 starts)...began season in rotation, but finished in
the bullpen (made last start on September 5 at ATL)...all 13 decisions came in a starting role...posted a 5.04 ERA in 22
starting assignments, 10 of which were quality starts...the 10 quality starts matched total posted in 2007 in 21 starts...
registered 5 consecutive quality starts, June 18-July 10...record was burdened by the lowest run support average (2.84
runs per 9.0 innings) in MLB among pitchers making at least 20 starts...when toeing the rubber in a starting role, Washington
went 5-17...notched a 5.42 ERA in 14.2 innings out of the bullpen...sustained only 3 losses in 15 intradivision
starts, but went 1-8 against non-NL East competition...went 0-1 with a stingy 1.35 ERA in 3 interleague starts...went
without a win in 15 games (10 starts) at Nationals Park...technically did grab a win at DC's newest ballpark, working 5.0
scoreless innings to earn the "W" in exhibition game, March 29 vs. BAL....walk rate more than doubled in season's 2nd
half (4.27) compared to the first (2.12)...matched career total entering '08 by inducing career-best 9 double plays.
Game-By-Game Highlights: After month-long stint in Triple-A, returned with vengeance, firing 7.0 scoreless innings
to nab win in 1-0 victory, May 15 at NYM...scattered 3 hits and 2 walks...struck out 9...went pitch-for-pitch with Mike
Pelfrey, who took a no-hitter into the 7th inning...ended 13-start winless drought and string of 7 consecutive losing
decisions by earning the win in a 6-3 victory in the first game of August 7 doubleheader at COL.
In minor leagues: Made 5 starts with Columbus of the Triple-A International League, the last 3 of which rendered
quality starts...earned wins and tossed scoreless ball both April 29 at Indianapolis (8.0 innings, 4 hits, 6 strikeouts) and
May 4 vs. Lehigh Valley (6.0 innings, 3 hits, 5 strikeouts).
2007
Entered Spring Training as a candidate for the bullpen and became a vital piece of the Nationals' future as a starter...
went 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA in 21 starts...logged a career-high 115.1 innings and posted a .231 batting average against
which would have ranked 6th in the NL with enough innings to qualify...allowed 3 or less earned runs in 15 of 21
assignments (10 with 2 or less)...also walked 2 or less 15 times...missed more than 2 months of action due to pair of
DL stints, one for right elbow inflammation (May 18-June 24), the other for left hamstring tightness (July 27-August
25)...first DL stay came after finest career start-8.0 innings of one-run, 2-hit ball-May 14 vs. ATL...notched 6 quality
starts in a 7-start span, April 12-May 14, including no-hit bid which lasted 7.0 complete innings on May 14 at ATL...bid
for history was foiled via Brian McCann's lead-off homer in the 8th...in the same game, out-dueled John Smoltz and
struck out career-high 10 to notch first career win in a starting role...was just 1-3 with a .162 batting average against
and a 2.76 ERA in 8 starts before going on the DL for the first time May 18, at which time paced the NL in opponents
batting average...upon returning from his first DL stay, went 1-2 with a 7.96 ERA (23 ER/26.0 IP) in 6 starts before
sustaining a left hamstring strain, July 24 at PHI...was reinstated from DL a 2nd time, August 28...went 5-0 in 9 starts
after the All-Star break before taking the loss on the season's final day, September 30 at PHI...won a career-best 3
straight starts, September 3-15...posted a stingy .200 batting average against and allowed just 4 home runs when
facing opposing right-handed hitters...went 3-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 5 starts against ATL...among those making 10 or
more starts, fanned a team-leading 6.7 per 9.0 innings...5 of 6 wins came against NL East foes.
2006
Made the Nationals' Opening Day roster in his rookie season...went 0-2 with a 6.68 ERA in 29 games (6 starts) during
4 stints with Washington...was optioned to New Orleans after just 2 appearances, but came back to allow just 3 runs
in 10.0 innings during his 2nd stint with Washington April 26-May 14...was converted to a starter in New Orleans
after being optioned July 5...upon return to the big leagues, went 0-1 with a 3.67 ERA (11 ER/27.0 IP) in his first 3
starts with the Nationals...fluctuated between the starting rotation and the bullpen for the remainder of 2006...his last
4 appearances of the year were out of the bullpen, including a 4.0-inning outing September 27 vs. PHI (the longest
outing by a Nationals reliever in 2006) and a 3.0-inning appearance September 30 vs. NYM...notched a 10.13 ERA
(27 ER/24.0 IP) in 14 road games and a 4.65 ERA (21 ER/40.2 IP) in 15 home contests.
Game-By-Game Highlights: Tossed a season-high 7.0 innings in the 2nd game of a September 2 doubleheader vs.
ARI, allowing only 3 runs on 4 hits...did not earn the decision in Washington's 4-3 come-from-behind win over former
teammate Livan Hernandez.
In Minor Leagues: Went 8-2 with 4 saves and a 3.28 ERA in 26 games (4 starts) with New Orleans...struck out 62 in
his 60.1 innings of work, or 9.3 per 9.0 innings...after being converted to a starter with New Orleans in July, went 3-1
with a 3.63 ERA (9 ER/22.1 IP) in 4 starts, and was recalled to Washington for good on August 11.
2005
Pitched well in 4th professional season, earned late-season promotion to big leagues and made strong impression in 15 appearances (one start) with the Nationals...with Hurricane Katrina bearing down on the Gulf Coast, was recalled
from New Orleans on August 28...arrived in DC and made big league debut with 1.1 scoreless innings that afternoon vs. STL...struck out the side in the 9th inning, fanning John Mabry, David Eckstein and Scott Seabol...earned first
career win with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in a 3-2 victory on August 30 at ATL...also collected first big league hit, a 5th-inning single off Jorge Sosa in the win...did not allow a run in first 5-plus appearances or 7.0 innings...made one start, Sept. 11 vs. ATL...lasted 2.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on one hit, and did not get a decision...earned 2nd win with scoreless 9th, September 15 at NYM...both wins came on the road...pocketed first big league hold during a 4-0 win, Sept. 26 at FLA...worked scoreless relief in 11 of 14 appearances...fanned 21 in 19.2 innings, or 9.6 per 9.0 innings
pitched, at the big league level...posted impressive .200 batting average against...pitched in consecutive games just twice...touched for just one homer (Miguel Cabrera, Sept. 28 at FLA) in 19.2 innings...retired 10 of 14 first batters
faced (71%)...only 2 of 9 inherited runners scored...posted stellar .077 (3-for-39) batting average against when facing right-handed batters...when count reached 2 strikes, opponents hit .128...when appearing, Washington went 6-9
(.400)...had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from right elbow...procedure was performed by Nationals.
2004
Shifted to the bullpen and turned heads among the baseball establishment for the first time...began the season with Savannah of the Single-A South Atlantic League, going 3-7 with a 4.85 ERA in 13 starts...fanned 58 in 65.0 South Atlantic League innings (8.0 per 9.0 innings)...shifted to bullpen with promotion to Single-A Florida State League mid-June and career was transformed...posted a 1.14 ERA (4 ER/31.1 IP) in 24 games out of the bullpen for the Manatees...
retained stellar strikeout ratio, fanning 28 in 31.2 innings (8.0 per 9.0 innings)...allowed only one earned run in 22 appearances, or 26.2 innings, from June 24-August 26...posted a .177 batting average against in the FSL...earned
season-ending stint with Harrisburg of the Double-A Eastern League...pitched for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League following the season...went 3-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 14 appearances out of the bullpen.
2003
Struggled with control in first complete professional season...went 6-11 with a 4.29 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) for Savannah, but walked 4.4 batters per 9.0 innings...ERA was 2.86 at completion of August 3 start vs. Greensboro, but
recorded an 11.72 ERA in final 6 assignments...capped '03 by striking out season-high 7 on August 31 vs. Charleston...dropped final 5 decisions...earned spot on the SAL mid-season All-Star team.
2002
Made strong pro debut, going 7-4 with a 2.89 ERA in 14 starts for Vermont of the short-season New York-Penn League...fanned 6 in 4.0 no-hit innings during pro debut, June 22 vs. Oneonta...pocketed first professional win, June 27 vs.
Brooklyn...allowed only 5 hits in first 4 starts, or 19.1 innings, as a pro...fanned season-high 9 in back-to-back starts, July 19 vs. Batavia and July 24 at Lowell...posted .194 batting average against.
