Only the mound bested Stephen Strasburg.
The Washington Nationals pitcher lost his footing on the Cleveland dirt as if it were a preschool Slip ‘n Slide. The hole grew deep in the sixth inning Sunday despite two attempts at fixing it by the groundskeepers. The bases were filled. So was his pitch count.
The exit seemed early, but the Nats weren’t risking their franchise player. Strasburg allowed only two hits and one earned run en route to Washington’s 9-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
Strasburg struck out eight, throwing 52 strikes on 95 pitches. The Nats don’t want him to top 100 pitches in a game, and manager Jim Riggleman opted for fellow 2009 first-rounder Drew Storen with the bases loaded after Strasburg yielded a broken bat single and consecutive walks. Strasburg clearly slipped off the mound when he walked Travis Hafner.
“Just slipping a little bit, but there’s going to be games like that,” Strasburg said. “I can’t tell you how many games I had a mound like that in college.
“[It bothered me] just when I was landing. You get in a groove, and once you plant with your front side, it gives a little bit with a couple pitches. It’s a part of the game. I wish I could have handled it a little better.”
It wasn’t the stellar debut of five days ago, when Strasburg struck out 14, but he showed even on a lesser afternoon that he’s a guy who can stop losing streaks. After two bruising losses in Cleveland, Washington regained its rhythm behind the phenom. The Nats seemed a little more confident all around as they pounded the Tribe mercilessly for 16 hits.
Fans may dig the long ball, but they relish seeing 100 mph. Strasburg threw 36 pitches of 97 mph or more.
“Velocity — it doesn’t matter,” he said. “Fans like to see triple digits, but it’s all about where you throw it.”
It mattered to the crowd, many of whom seemed to come for the opposing pitcher. The second stop on Strasburg’s celebrity tour — which continues Friday at Nationals Park against the Chicago White Sox — drew 32,876, about 14,000 more than usual. Many were wearing Strasburg gear despite the hurler’s rare start in an American League city. Those in the crowd booed Riggleman for removing Strasburg before leaving themselves.
It seems the Nats are now a road draw. After all, everyone wants to see the next great pitcher.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
