It would have been unreasonable to expect Strasburg to replicate or outdo his 14 strikeout performance on Tuesday, but he managed to remain impressive. Eight strikeouts, two hits and only one earned run over 5 1/3 innings is nothing to sneeze at in your second Major League debut. In his first two starts, Strasburg has 22 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings, with an ERA of 2.19 through his first two career starts.
Yes, today showed that he can have some issues with control from time to time. The way he let the condition of the mound get into his head was a little disappointing, but certainly understandable. With time, his control and his ability to block out external circumstances will improve.
All in all, I'd give Strasburg a B+ for his outing today, which might be a little harsh, but performances like these will probably be closer to Strasburg's norm for the rest of the season. I don't think anyone would be too upset with that.
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