Nationals' Jordan Weems: Dominant relief outing

Weems struck out four batters in 1.1 scoreless innings during Monday's loss to the Reds.

Entering the game in the seventh inning with the Nationals down 3-2, Weems did hit TJ Friedl with a pitch but was otherwise perfect as he generated seven swinging strikes on only 29 pitches. The 30-year-old right-hander has emerged as a potential high-leverage weapon, posting a 0.73 ERA, 0.49 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB over his last 12.1 innings, and Weems could find himself in the closing mix for the Nationals in the second half if the team ships out arbitration-eligible relievers like Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey.