- Patrick has updated us from the press box at Nationals Park:
- Just to set the scene a little. The press box is overflowing with reporters, they shut the cafeteria down rather than try to serve this many people, and handed out box lunches. Writers are lining the walls, there's a makeshift press box in the dining room where everyone usually eats, they've filled up the overflow box "The Shirley Povich Media Center" and each and every person up here in the box and in the stands is hanging on every pitch. Strasburg's thrown 70 through 5.0, 45 for strikes, given up 4 hits, 1 HR, 2 ER, and recorded 8 K's, with 5 groundouts and 1 flyout from the 18 batters he's faced.The Nationals strand Cristian Guzman on second base in the bottom half of the fifth inning as they still trail, 2-1.
- While the crowd is still very much alive and kicking, it's interesting to note that they've quieted down a little bit since Delwyn Young's two-run shot. At least when Strasburg isn't striking everyone out.
- Another strikeout for Strasburg, this time the victim being Andrew McCutchen on a 91 MPH changeup. So far, by my unofficial count, Strasburg has at least one strikeout with his fastball, slurve, and changeup.
- Neil Walker comes to plate and strikes out swinging on a 99 MPH fastball. That gives Strasburg 10 strikeouts on the game. Just another day at the office, huh?
- In case you're unimpressed and 10 strikeouts wasn't dazzling enough, Strasburg gets Lastings Milledge to strikeout swining on a 92 MPH changeup, sending the crowd (and the Twitter-sphere) into a frenzy. He has retired seven consecutive Pirates batters.
- That's an incredible 11 strikeouts for the rookie in his debut. His line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 11 K. He has thrown 81 pitches (54 for strikes), so whether he pitches in the seventh inning is anyone's guess.
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Stephen Strasburg's Debut, Sixth Inning: Wow! Strasburg Strikes Out The Side, Has 11 On The Game
By
Alex Reed