Baseball Daily Dose: Dose: Strasburg's Electric Return
Whatever your thoughts on Stephen Strasburg (I shared a few of mine last week), you have to hand it to the guy—he’s got a flair for the dramatic.
He really had us going didn’t he? The undefeated streak, the back flare-up, the widespread panic that followed it, manager Dusty Baker calling Strasburg a game-time decision ahead of Sunday’s game against Cincinnati (what is this, football?). But even with the immense buildup, Strasburg managed to top himself with a start for the ages.
Maybe Sunday wasn’t Strasburg’s sharpest outing—he allowed a season-high four walks including two in the first inning—but it was certainly one of his most memorable. Weary of a setback, the Nationals waited until just before first pitch to activate Strasburg from the disabled list. Stud prospect Lucas Giolito was waiting at the ready in case Strasburg’s back decided to go maverick on him.
But none of those precautions were necessary. Strasburg had more than enough in the tank, throttling the listless Reds over 6 2/3 scoreless frames before handing a no-hitter over to the Washington bullpen after 109 pitches. The right-hander actually had one of his worst starts of the year when he faced the Reds on June 4, scattering four hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision. He was much stingier Sunday, retiring 10 batters in a row at one point before yielding a one-out walk to Eugenio Suarez in the seventh inning. Sunday was the longest no-hit bid of Strasburg’s career.
Matt Belisle lost the no-hitter by surrendering a leadoff single to Ramon Cabrera in the eighth inning but that shouldn’t take away from Strasburg’s triumphant return. Now that his injury scare has passed, we can finally appreciate Strasburg’s remarkable first half. In fact, Strasburg has been on a roll for the better part of a year now. Since August 8 of last season, Strasburg has gone 17-2 with a 2.39 ERA, 11.66 K/9, 5.97 K/BB and a .196 BAA over 25 starts. So far Strasburg has been worth every penny of his new seven-year, $175 million extension.
Usually about once a year we chide a manager for removing a pitcher with a no-hitter still in tact. It’s already happened three times this season with Strasburg, Adam Conley and Ross Stripling all getting early hooks. It’s always tempting to go for history but given the circumstances, Baker’s decision to pull Strasburg was a no-brainer. The four walks were a drain on Strasburg’s pitch count and teams tend to err on the side of caution with pitchers coming off injuries. Strasburg was already showing signs of fatigue, walking a batter and throwing a wild pitch in the seventh inning.
Regular season accomplishments are nice but the Nationals have their sights a bit higher. They’re chasing a World Series and they won’t get there without a healthy Strasburg. There’d be legitimate reason for beef if Baker took Strasburg out after 80 or 90 pitches but I don’t think anyone will question him for removing his injury-prone ace with a pitch count of 109. Strasburg has only gone over 110 pitches twice this season and that was before his back started barking.
What a difference a week makes. At this time a week ago, the Nats looked gassed. They had dropped seven straight and were starting to lose ground in the NL East. Now they’ve won seven of their last eight.
The team’s recent surge wouldn’t be possible without Danny Espinosa. The hot-hitting shortstop erupted for four hits Sunday including two homers. Since June 1, Espinosa has hit .316 with 12 round-trippers and 29 RBI. He’s now ahead of teammate and reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper in both home runs (18) and RBI (49).
Top prospect Trea Turner is ready for the big leagues (.299, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 22 steals at Triple-A this year) but with Espinosa and Daniel Murphy occupying the two middle infield spots, there’s simply no room for him in Washington. He did make a cameo with the big club in June, going 3-for-3 in two games before heading back down to Syracuse.
Espinosa has already established himself as one of the game’s premier defensive shortstops but he didn’t add hitting to his repertoire until last month. Before that he was batting just .199 with 46 strikeouts in 166 at-bats. Espinosa’s month-long tear has only complicated Turner’s path to the big leagues. As it stands now, Espinosa is second among shortstops in home runs and sixth in RBI. Meanwhile the Nationals are only two games behind the slumping Cubs (we’ll get to them in a minute) for the best record in MLB. They’ll host the Brewers at 11:05 AM on America’s 240th birthday.
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Cubs Drop Fourth Straight
The Cubs’ grip on the National League is loosening. The Mets got out their brooms on Sunday, obliterating the Cubs in a 14-3 beat-down at Citi Field. Wilmer Flores did the heavy lifting with six hits and two home runs while Noah Syndergaard provided seven dominant innings for his ninth win of the year. The 14-run outburst was a season-high for the Mets, who continue to be a thorn in the Cubs’ side. By winning all four games this weekend, the Mets matched the result of last year’s NLCS when they swept Chicago in four games.
Flores, who has been tasked with replacing David Wright at third base (at least until Jose Reyes arrives in a few days), became the first Met to collect six hits in a single game since Edgardo Alfonzo on August 30, 1999. Syndergaard made headlines a week ago when he apparently lied about the presence of a bone spur in his right elbow but obviously the injury didn’t hold him back on Sunday. He leads the Mets with 123 strikeouts this year and also owns MLB’s fifth-lowest ERA at 2.41. The All-Star rosters won’t be announced until Tuesday but Syndergaard already knows he’s headed to San Diego for next week’s Mid-Summer Classic.
The game was out of reach early as the Mets pounded Jon Lester for nine hits and eight runs over 1 1/3 innings in the shortest outing of his career. With the bullpen running on fumes after Lester’s early exit, catcher Miguel Montero was asked to record the final four outs. Montero had never pitched in his career (majors or minors) before Sunday.
Sunday’s embarrassment came on the heels of another shaky outing from Jake Arrieta on Saturday (5 1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER). It was a tough weekend for the Cubs’ pitching staff as a whole as the team generated an ugly 8.72 ERA during the four-game sweep. This might be a little more than a slump. The Cubs have lost 10 of their last 14 while getting outscored 81-59 during that span. Fortunately they still have plenty of breathing room in the NL Central and their next opponent is Cincinnati, who the Cubs swept last week before falling flat against the Mets.
Quick Hits: Yordano Ventura sprained his right ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Phillies. He allowed four runs on four hits before exiting in the third inning … Brandon McCarthy’s season debut was a success. The right-hander finished with eight strikeouts while limiting the Rockies to two hits over five shutout innings. He missed most of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery … The Rockies are going to stick with Carlos Estevez at closer even though Jake McGee was just activated from the disabled list. The job might not be his for long as Estevez has allowed at least one run in three of his last four outings … Zack Greinke’s MRI revealed a strained left oblique. He’s been placed on the disabled list, though the right-hander will be eligible to return immediately after the All-Star break … Joey Votto returned to the Reds’ lineup Sunday against Washington after missing Saturday’s game with a sore right shoulder. The injury was probably karma for taunting fans … Justin Morneau will head to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday to begin a rehab assignment. He underwent elbow surgery during the offseason but should join the White Sox as a DH in the second half … The Indians have followed up their club record 14-game winning streak by losing two straight. Sunday’s 17-1 defeat to Toronto got so ugly that backup catcher Chris Gimenez came in and pitched the final two innings … Abraham Almonte made his season debut for Cleveland on Sunday after serving an 80-game PED suspension. He went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts … Edwin Encarnacion was handed a one-game suspension for bumping home plate umpire Vic Carapazza after his ejection on Friday. He’s decided to appeal the ban … Marco Estrada went for an MRI on Sunday. He complained of back pain after Saturday’s start against Cleveland … Cuban infielder Yulieski Gurriel is expected to command a four-year contract worth between $55-75 million. He’s already worked out for the Dodgers, Mets, Astros, Yankees and Giants … The Yankees told Andrew Miller that he will not be traded. Closer Aroldis Chapman was not given the same reassurance … Andrew McCutchen sat out Sunday’s series finale against Oakland because of a sore heel. Pittsburgh swept the series to move back to .500 … Joe Ross was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. That might explain his strange dip in velocity Saturday against Cincinnati. Ross’ rotation spot will be absorbed by Lucas Giolito … Curtis Granderson returned to the Mets’ lineup on Sunday. He had missed the previous three games with a strained calf. Granderson homered and reached base three times in the win … Trevor Story sat out for the fifth time in six games Sunday against the Dodgers. He’s still dealing with a bruised right middle finger … Nick Tropeano will return to the Angels’ rotation Monday against Tampa Bay. To make room for him, Jhoulys Chacin is moving to the bullpen … Denard Span went for an MRI on Sunday. He’s missed the Giants’ last three games with a stiff neck … The first MLB game in North Carolina was played Sunday at Fort Bragg. 12,582 service members were on hand to see the Marlins capture a 5-2 victory over the Braves.
