With gametime temperatures as high as 104 degrees at Turner Field in Atlanta, marking the hottest game in Nationals' history, Stephen Strasburg was forced to leave the game a bit earlier than usual. Tossing just 67 pitches, the right-hander left after three innings because of dehydration, matching the shortest outing of his career.
He was replaced by reliever Chien-Ming Wang, who came out for the bottom of the fourth after Strasburg had hit in the top half of the inning. Per the Sporting News:
When his star pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, came back to the dugout after the top of the fourth-he had drawn a walk from Atlanta starter Mike Minor with two outs in the inning - [Davey] Johnson was taken aback.
"He was white as a sheet," Johnson said after the game, the concern still evident on his face. "I said, ‘That's it.' He wasn't going back."
Strasburg was, as Johnson put it, "totally dehydrated."
For more on the Nationals, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. Get caught up on the Braves with Talking Chop. Check out Baseball Nation for more news and analysis around Major League Baseball.