The Washington Nationals activated ace Stephen Strasburg off the disabled list Friday after more than a month on the shelf due to a strained left oblique, and he twirled a gem Saturday evening in his first MLB start since July 4.
Matched up against the Colorado Rockies, Strasburg recorded a season-high 12 strikeouts while allowing just three hits and an earned run over the course of seven innings in the Nationals’ 6-1 win. He also didn’t walk a single batter in the triumphant effort. It was the first time Strasburg struck out at least 10 batters since August 3 of last season, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Strasburg has now recorded at least 10 strikeouts in a game 17 times over the course of his career, according to MLB.com’s William Ladson.
“His stuff was electric today,” Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said, according to Ladson. “His fastball was moving a lot with velocity and his breaking ball was really good, too. It’s really sharp. It looks like it’s going to be around the strike zone and then it goes down quick to the ground.”
Along with his stellar performance on the mound, Strasburg also cleaned up at the plate. The 27-year-old went 3-for-3 with three singles, which was a career high.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info) Strasburg became the first pitcher in franchise history to tally 10 strikeouts and three hits in the same game.
CSNWashington.com’s Mark Zuckerman provided another staggering stat:
“It was the kind of outing that reminds us why the Nationals took him as the first overall pick in 2009 and why they still believe he can be one of the game’s legitimate aces,” Bleacher Report’s Anthony Witrado wrote.
Strasburg indicated earlier in the week that he was rounding into form physically, so his dominant outing didn’t come as a complete shock.
“I feel good,” Strasburg said after recording 11 strikeouts in his last rehabilitation start, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). “Stuff’s there, so it’s just trying to keep doing the same things and keep working at all the stuff I’ve been doing. I’m going in the right direction.”
However, it should be noted Strasburg was matched up against a Rockies offense that performs far worse on the road than it does within the friendly confines of Coors Field.
Although Colorado entered the night ranked first in the National League in runs scored, total bases and RBI, it ranks 11th, ninth and 11th in those same categories on the road, respectively.
In addition to spending nearly the entire month of July on the disabled list with a strained oblique, Strasburg was sidelined for almost all of June with neck tightness. But with his recent return from the DL and fantastic display Saturday, the right-hander may be putting those injury concerns behind him.
With Strasburg seemingly back at full strength, the Nationals should be feeling good as they seek to reclaim first place in the NL East from the surging New York Mets.
“Hopefully, this kind of bad luck he’s been having, hopefully, he will get rid of those [injuries] and be that guy for the next two-and-a-half months,” Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said, per Ladson. “That was special.”
Washington’s starters entered Saturday night with the sixth-best ERA in the NL, but if the 2014 NL strikeout leader can keep setting down batters the way he did against the Rockies, he will significantly bolster a rotation that already boasts Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmerman and Gio Gonzalez.
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