Who knows exactly how many minor-league starts Nationals pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg has left in him for the Syracuse Chiefs. He threw just 52 pitches tonight in a Triple-A game against the Toledo Mud Hens, allowing his first earned run at that level in four starts. The final line was two runs – only one earned – on five hits with five strikeouts. Strasburg didn’t walk a batter. In fact, he didn’t even reach three balls in any at-bat. His minor-league stats now sit at: Nine starts; 45 1/3 innings pitched; 22 hits; 10 walks; 54 strikeouts; five earned runs; 1.00 ERA.
That’ll play. Strasburg even dealt with some adversity on Monday night – something that will actually make Washington’s front office happy. He needed just eight pitches to get out of the first inning – hitting 96 with his fastball in the process. In the second he allowed a hard single up the middle on a 1-1 breaking ball, but then struck out Casper Wells swinging in a tough six-pitch at-bat. Wells, remember, had homered off Strasburg last October during an Arizona Fall League game – an outing where he gave up three homers and seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. No team has done that to him in a college or professional setting.
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But in the third inning he allowed a leadoff triple – a fastball ripped down the line by Deik Scram. He would score on a passed ball by catcher Devin Ivany, who set up inside and couldn’t handle a low fastball toward the outside of the plate. The ball hit Ivany’s glove, but never touched the dirt. Also in that inning, Will Rhymes smashed a ball at second baseman Eric Bruntlett and Scott Sizemore – who began the year with the Detroit Tigers – lined out to third baseman Chase Lambin.
In the fourth, major-leaguer Carlos Guillen – on an injury rehab assignment from the Tigers – ripped a single to right field. After a strikeout, Strasburg gave up a double to Jeff Frazier to put runners at second and third with one out. Then Wells got him again with a soft single in the hole between short and third to score a run. But with runners on the corners and just one out, Strasburg fought his way out of the jam. He painted the inside corner with a fastball to Brent Dlugach for a strikeout and then received great defensive support from shortstop Pedro Lopez. A soft liner hit by Scram appeared ticketed for left before Lopez made a tremendous diving catch. Strasburg retired the side in order in the sixth on just eight pitches with a couple of 97 miles-per-hour fastballs mixed in.
Strasburg is scheduled to pitch again for Syracuse next Saturday. After that? It’s up to general manager Mike Rizzo and the front office. Some reports peg a June 4 game against the Reds at Nationals Park as his major-league debut. He looks ready. And that pitch limit is curious considering Strasburg wasn’t laboring. Were the Nats saving his arm for the more taxing games to come? We’ll know soon enough.
