Mock makes rehab start for P-Nats; Lombardozzi promoted

Garrett Mock continued to make a push to return to the major leagues.

Steve Lombardozzi is also trying to reach the big leagues. And he has just taken a huge step forward.

On a night Mock returned to Woodbridge to make a rehabilitation assignment for the Potomac Nationals, Lombardozzi learned of his promotion to Double-A Harrisburg.

With Harrisburg manager Randy Knorr, hitting coach Troy Gingrich and Washington Nationals director of player development Doug Harris in attendance, Lombardozzi was given the word that he would be leaving Potomac. Potomac manager Gary Cathcart broke the news to him following a 5-2 loss to the Lynchburg Hillcats.

Lombardozzi left Cathcart’s office to eat the postgame spread and received several congratulatory comments from his teammates.

“I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure,” Lombardozzi said when asked if he thought a move upward was coming. “I’m happy and sad at the same time. We’re rolling right now, but I’m excited to be called up.”

Lombardozzi is leaving a team who has rebounded from a 31-39 first half record to 24-18 in the second half and first place in the Northern Division. A team-best .293 average and 20 stolen bases, solid defensive play and an ability to consistently reach base were cause for Washington’s player development staff to allow Lombardozzi to play at a higher level.

But the son of the former major league infielder is not changing his approach just because he is moving on.

“I’m staying the same,” said Lombardozzi, who singled and scored Potomac’s first run in Monday’s regularly scheduled game, played following the completion of a suspended game. “I’m staying with my routine everyday. I’m not going to do anything more or anything less.”

Mock pitched one game for Potomac in 2007. On Monday, he threw four innings in his first start for Potomac following a rehab start with Low-A Hagerstown. Mock struck out three in three scoreless innings during that outing.

He is attempting to return from a herniated disc in his neck and may make another start with Potomac in the near future.

Mock went 3-10 last year as he pitched in 28 combined games with the Washington Nationals and Triple-A Syracuse.

“Things feel pretty good,” Mock said. “It’s the first time since I had the surgery that I’ve gotten to go on a regular five-day rotation. The routine every fifth day, I felt back into it and I was ready to throw the ball out there tonight. I felt good.”

Mock allowed three runs on eight hits. He struck out two and did not walk anyone.

He did, however, look vulnerable. Mock allowed a two-run first inning home run to Denis Phipps. He also hit two batters. One of his hit batsmen, Kyle Day, scored in the fourth on Jordan Wideman’s single.

“I was pitching up in the zone,” Mock said. “In the first inning, I threw two pitches up in the zone and both of them got hit like they were supposed to. I felt like as the game went on, I started putting the ball down.

“The biggest thing is going through a game and going through the lineup a couple times, making the decisions. My arm felt fine. I made some adjustments. Ultimately I don’t think I was very decisive, so my tempo wasn’t very good.”

Lynchburg scored twice in the seventh off Joe Testa, who allowed four hits in three innings.

Michael Burgess clubbed his 12th home run of the year for Potomac. It came in the third inning.