The Washington Nationals couldn't have asked for more from starter Stephen Strasburg who just finished up in his first game back from Tommy John surgery. The young smokethrower on Tuesday night sometimes made the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers look foolish, almost as if he never left the mound for 368 days like he did. With a five inning performance he is in line to garner the win Tuesday night as the Nationals lead the Dodgers 3-0.
Strasburg gave up two hits, zero runs, issued no free passes and struck out four. He threw some impressive 80 mph curveballs and 90 mph change ups that caught a couple Blue Boys swinging and blew up batters with a fastball which peaked at 99 mph. He pitched 56 pitches, 40 for strikes. No. 37 averaged just 11.2 pitches per inning Tuesday night, fewer than in any of his 12 starts last season.
The Nationals ace looked great. He went after batters, had great control, his pitch speed was searing. For now it looks like all systems are go. Natstown is going to be quite the scary place for visiting teams when manager Davey Johnson gives Strasburg the green light to completely unleash the red. Strasburg was on a 60-pitch limit.
Strasburg pitched despite really stormy weather that has covered most of the East Coast since yesterday.