Lannan was born in Long Beach, New York. Following his time as captain of the baseball team at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, Lannan pitched for the Siena Saints of Siena College. He was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 11th round (324th overall) of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft.\n', '

He pitched for the low Single-A Vermont Expos in 2005 and the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats in 2006, compiling ERAs of 5.26 and 4.76 respectively. In 2007, however, he blazed through the minors. He began the year for the high-A Potomac Nationals going 6–0 with an ERA of 2.13 and was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg. He went 3–2 with a 3.25 ERA and got bumped up to Triple-A Columbus, where he started six games, and went 3–1 with a 1.75 ERA. In July 2007, he was called up to the MLB team following his impressive numbers.[citation needed]\n', '

The Nationals, decimated by injuries to their starting pitchers, purchased his contract on July 26, 2007, for Lannan to start against the Philadelphia Phillies. In his debut, behind 3–2 with one out in the fifth inning, Lannan hit Chase Utley with a fastball (breaking Utley\'s hand) and then hit Ryan Howard on the next pitch, whereupon umpire Hunter Wendelstedt immediately ejected Lannan from the game; Lannan was the first Major Leaguer in a decade to be tossed from his debut. The next would be former Astros pitcher Kyle Weiland who was ejected in his debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2011. Lannan picked up his first Major League win, in his second start, six days later, in which he held the Cincinnati Reds hitless through three and scoreless through five inning before allowing two runs in the sixth.\n', '

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