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Senators pitching coach Paul Menhart has been a fan of Taylor Jordan since the Nationals drafted him in the ninth round in 2009 out of Brevard (Fla.) Community College.

(MARK PYNES, PennLive.com, 2013)

This stuff was too good to lump into the usual game notebook with everything else, so we're pulling it aside and giving it its own space.

It's Harrisburg Senators pitcher coach Paul Menhart talking about starting pitcher Taylor Jordan, and to set it up, we're including a notebook item about Jordan's latest superb outing.

* The rest of the notebook will be posted at 8:45 a.m. Friday.

JORDAN'S INSANELY IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS:

RHP Taylor Jordan (5-0) threw a second consecutive complete-game shutout, though this one went the full nine innings. The 24-year-old (No. 13 Nationals prospect) took a no-hitter into the sixth, ultimately scattered five singles, a walk and a hit batsman and struck out a career-high 11 batters as his Double-A ERA fell to 0.66 in 41 innings. He's on a 19-inning scoreless streak and has won four straight starts. Opponents are hitting .181 against him with 18 singles, seven doubles, one triple and no home runs.

MENHART ON JORDAN'S DECEPTION:

Pitching coach Paul Menhart talked about Jordan's deception: "I've liked him from the very start, before [Tommy John] surgery [in September 2011]. There was something about his funky arm action and his ability to still have feel. It's very unorthodox. But the deception is something I don't think can be taught, and he has deception. The hitters tell you about deception. Yes, he throws low- to mid-90s and has movement and all that, and it's gravy compared to the deception. Because for that one extra tick, those hitters have to wait to see where the ball is because he hides it so well."

JORDAN'S REPERTOIRE:

Jordan hits mid-90s, 94, 95 mph, with his fastball. He boasts a four-seamer and a sinking fastball. Menhart says his changeup, with split action, is his next best pitch. He's also been working on a slider.

MENHART ON JORDAN'S RECOVERY FROM TOMMY JOHN SURGERY AND POSSIBLE LIMITATIONS:

"This is still his first full season after surgery, so he's reaping the benefits of our system, especially on the rehab side and the great job they do getting guys ready after significant surgery. [No season-long pitching limit] that I've been told is concrete, but we're still going to be careful and monitor him. I'm sure there is a number, but I just haven't been told the number."

MENHART ON IF HE THINKS JORDAN IS READY YET FOR THE BIG LEAGUES:

"No, not ready. He still has to experience numerous times facing the same hitters. [In his seven Double-A games, Jordan has faced six different teams.] This was a great outing, and I've actually had the discussion with Taylor, because he's getting a little anxious about movement and what have you. I told him you need to be patient about this because you still have to experience facing hitters a number of times to make sure you're really ready. Because anybody can fool somebody once, but to fool somebody twice you've really got something."

MENHART ON JORDAN'S MENTAL APPROACH:

"It's a numbness, I think. This kid, when he gets on the mound, has a numbness about him, almost no pulse. He's able to slow a game down. He's a Jekyll and Hyde, because off the field he's fun-loving, a little bit loony. But on that mound he has the ability to be a Cy Young award winner."

MENHART ON JORDAN LOSING THE NO-HITTER ON A CONTROVERSIAL CALL IN THE SIXTH:

"I bet he didn't even know. I went out [to the mound] because I like to make sure the pitcher [is OK] after a let-down like that, but I don't even think he knew if they ruled it a hit or an error. I'm being straight honest, because he takes every pitch one at a time. That's a wonderful thing to preach from my end, but he actually does it. He's only concerned about that next pitch."

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