Stephen Strasburg threw nothing but goose eggs in shutting down the Dodgers for his 2011 debut. The triple-digit hurler struck out 4 and pitched 5 scoreless innings in his first Major League start of 2011.
The Washington Ace left the game leading 3-0, but sadly for the Nationals, Strasburg’s rehab assignment was overshadowed by shoddy relief pitching, which led to a 7-3 victory for the visiting Dodgers. Still, Strasburg was brilliant for five innings, throwing 56 pitches, 40 of them for strikes. The Dodgers couldn’t catch up with his fastball, clocked at 99 miles-per-hour on the radar gun.
Imagine how much fun the Nationals will be next year with Strasburg on the mound – and hitting phenom Bryce Harper in the lineup.