Rasners not doing favors for hitters

Monday was a good day to take the mound if your name is Rasner.

Cousins Darrell and Jake Rasner combined to allow just three hits in 15 scoreless innings, pitching their respective teams to shutout victories at the Triple-A and Class A Advanced levels.

Darrell, who's appeared in 12 games for the New York Yankees over the past two seasons, scattered two hits and a walk over eight frames in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's 3-0 home win over the Rochester Red Wings.

The 27-year-old right-hander faced two batters over the minimum, struck out five and improved to 3-0 in four starts for the Yankees. He also lowered his ERA from 1.80 to 0.72, second-best in the International League to Richmond's Jo-Jo Reyes.

Darrell continues to build on an impressive Minor League career. The Expos' second-round draft pick out of the University of Nevada in 2002, Rasner has compiled a 27-25 record and 3.41 ERA in the Minors. He's also gone 4-5 with a 4.13 ERA in 17 Major League appearances since debuting with the Nationals in 2005.

Brett Gardner provided all the offense Rasner would need after lifting a sacrifice fly in the third. Jason Lane clubbed his league-leading sixth homer in the eighth for IL North front-runner Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (13-6).

Jason Pridie and Jose Morales tallied both team hits for Rochester (8-11). Red Wings left-hander Glen Perkins (0-1) gave up a run on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five frames.

Jake, who took the mound just as Darrell lost his bid for a no-hitter in the fourth inning, was just as impressive in Winston-Salem's 2-0 win over visiting Potomac. The 21-year-old right-hander and native of Reno, Nev. one-hit the Nationals for seven innings, striking out six and walking three.

While his elder cousin worked mostly from a full windup, Jacob found himself battling from the stretch in five of his seven frames. He did not, however, allow a runner past second base and punctuated his night by striking out Dee Brown and Leonard Davis to end the seventh.

It was the second consecutive win for Jake, who improved to 2-0 in three starts while lowering his ERA to 1.00. He's improved dramatically upon his 2007 season, when he posted a 7-11 record and 6.83 ERA in 28 starts for the Class A Kannapolis Intimidators.

Winston-Salem reliever Richard Brooks fanned two and pitched around two hits in the eighth, and Kanekoa Texeira tossed a perfect ninth to notch his third save.

Brandon Allen led off the second with his second home run of the year and Sergio Miranda delivered a RBI double in the seventh for the Warthogs (8-6), who won their fourth consecutive game and currently sit atop the Carolina League Southern Division.

P-Nats starter Jhonny Nunez (0-2) suffered a hard-luck loss after matching a career high with 10 strikeouts in six innings. The 22-year-old right-hander surrendered Allen's homer, two singles and didn't walk a batter.

Matt Rogelstad, Seth Bynum and Leonard Davis chipped in base hits for the Nationals (12-4).