- Back-to-back homeruns by Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham in the bottom of the sixth have put the Nationals ahead, 4-2.
- Strasburg heads back to the mound in the top of the seventh, but this looks like it will be his last inning. He is due up next for the Nationals in the bottom half of the inning and has already recorded 81 pitches.
- Rob Dibble says "you already know the kid is running out of gas. It's not easy to maintain that velocity even for a 21 year old kid". The radar gun (high 90's still) begs to differ.
- Another strikeout: 81 MPH breaking ball against Garrett Jones for his 12th - yes, you read that correctly - strikeout of the game. The kid is simply unbelievable, and there's not much more you can say about him.
- It would be nice if Riggleman would take Strasburg out in the middle of the inning. That way, he could receive the proper standing ovation.
- He leaves him in, and for good reason: Strasburg gets both Delwyn Young and Andy LaRoche to strikeout swinging. That's an unbelievable 14 strikeouts in seven innings.
- Since the Delwyn Young homerun in the fourth inning, Strasburg has retired 10 consecutive batters. He has also struck out eight of the last nine batters he's faced, including seven consecutively.
- If you're watching this game and, like me, think you're either dreaming or watching yourself play MLB '94 on Sega Saturn, you need to know that this is real. This is very, very real.
- Strasburg is officially out of the game after being pinch hit for in the bottom of the seventh by Willie Harris and receiving a curtain call from the crowd at Nationals Park.
- His final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 14 K, 94 pitches, and for one night and possibly more, the King of Washington, DC.
Filed under:
Stephen Strasburg's Debut, Seventh Inning: Is This Real Life, Or A Video Game?
By
Alex Reed