By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

As many times as Bryan Lambert has stepped to the pitcher’s mound and toed the rubber, the Auburn native probably has never been so nervous.

When Lambert was given the starting assignment nearly two weeks ago, it was the opportunity of his lifetime. The Washington Nationals organization had moved Lambert into the starting rotation on their single-A affiliate in Savannah. The intention was to give the former Edward Little ace a chance to prove himself, and now it was all in his hands.

“It was in Rome (Ga.), the Braves affiliate,” Lambert said of the July 6 outing. “They bring in 5,000 every night. So it was an exciting atmosphere. It was the first time I’d been nervous on the mound.

“Once you throw that first pitch, you zone everything else out and forget about it, but it was a mixture of being nervous and very excited.”

It hasn’t been an easy season for Lambert with the Savannah Sand Gnats. He started the year on the disabled list when he injured his knee during offseason training. When he returned to the lineup, he was slotted to be a closer. After one save, he had difficulty and was moved into a long relief role.

“For me, it was a struggle early,” he said. “When I came out of Florida, off the disabled list, I’d thrown only three innings, but I went to Savannah. I was kind of ready but not really. My knee was 100 percent, but I wasn’t really game ready. It was tough to get back into it, but mentally, I had to keep telling myself to stick with it.”

Lambert did just that and, three weeks ago, when the organization’s pitching coordinator, Spin Williams, watched him throw, the idea of giving Lambert the chance to start was discussed with the Gnats pitching coach Paul Menhart.

“It was a pretty obvious choice,” said Menhart. “You’ve got a 6-9 guy that throws down plane. He’s a very strong guy, and we had to see if he could handle the starting role. He’s 24 almost 25, it’s time for him to really show us what he can do.”

So Lambert was assigned to pitch against the Rome Braves. He had a spot start last season, splitting the year between the GCL Nationals and Savannah, but this was his chance to establish himself in the rotation.

“I was definitely excited when they told me,” said Lambert. “It’s a good sign from the organization that they’re interested in me. For a pitcher, when they want you to be a starter, it’s a good sign. “

Lambert earned the win in a 9-2 victory, pitching five innings and allowing two runs and three hits. He walked one.

For a while, I was struggling,” Lambert said of his early-season woes. “I didn’t feel like I had my best stuff, and then I started pitching better. So much about pitching is confidence. Once I started getting my confidence back, you could see I was getting much better.”

Lambert got his second start last Sunday. He went just three innings, giving up a run, but was hit in the hand by a line drive.

“It’s nothing serious,” said Lambert, whose thumb was black and blue earlier in the week. “Even though I only got through three innings and even though I got hit, it was still a pretty good start to build on.”

Menhart sees significant progress in Lambert’s outings. He’s pitching with authority. He’s using his fastball and being aggressive, rather than try sneaking pitches past batters. His other pitches have evolved because of the success of his fastball.

“I’ve been very impressed,” said Menhart. “He’s able to go right after hitters, and he’s starting to trust his stuff. I hate to say that because it’s so cliche, but when you throw down plane like that, you have such an advantage.”

Lambert has now pitched 42 innings and has a 1-4 record with a 5.79 earned run average. With two starts under his belt, Lambert likes the starting role compared to being used as a closer or long reliever.

“You can control things a little more,” he said. “You can throw fastballs early in the count. You can control the flow of the game more than if you come in in situations.”

It also makes it easier to prepare physically and mentally.

“It’s such an easier situation,” he said. “You get into a routine. You know when you’re going to pitch. Everything is about getting ready for your next start.”

The move to the rotation also benefits his family and friends.

“Now they don’t have to guess when I’m going to pitch,” he said. “It’s been good for them too.”

Lambert hopes to continue his progress through the rest of the season and maybe earn a shot with Washington’s Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg. That would give him an opportunity to play against the Portland Sea Dogs.

“That would be a good goal for me,” he said. “Have a real good spring training and have a chance to start or pitch on that team.”

Menhart says it is hard to pinpoint a timetable for Lambert at this stage, especially where he’s just recently moved into the rotation. A step-by-step progression would be expected if Lambert can prove himself. Menhart says the biggest factor for Lambert is to continue developing faith in his pitches and sticking with what he does best.

“Right now, it’s maintenance,” said Menhart. “Believe in yourself and don’t go away from what works. The one problem with young kids is that they have success and they start to try to make everything better and they overthrow.”