The 23-year-old right-hander wound his way through six minor league rehab starts with four teams in four states over the last month, culminating with a majors return which was easily the most anticipated event of the season for a Nationals club trying to avoid a fourth consecutive last-place NL East finish. Daylong rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee threatened to postpone the game, but, when it came time to play, the weather put itself on hold for the pitcher wearing jersey No. 37 and those gotta-love-‘em traditional high red knee-socks.
Strasburg’s teammates, however, weren’t as cooperative as Mother Nature. He was set to get to win when he departed with a 3-0 lead, but the bullpen allowed the Dodgers to tie it in the sixth. Then even the weather gave up on the game, at least temporarily, as the rain returned in the seventh to force a 31-minute delay and empty the ballpark of all but a hardy few.
Rod Barajas’ two-run double in the eighth inning off Henry Rodriguez (3-3) put the Dodgers ahead for good, giving Kelly Jansen (2-1) the win.
His workload carefully monitored, Strasburg threw 56 pitches, 40 for strikes. He struck out four, didn’t walk a batter, and a string of 11 in a row retired ended when Juan Rivera was generously given a hit for a ground ball that went under shortstop Ian Desmond’s glove. His fastball peaked at 99 mph.
Strasburg even scored his first career run, part of a three-run second inning. He reached by laying down a sacrifice that Dodgers starter Ted Lily turned into a two-base throwing error. Strasburg wound up at second on the play, went to third on Desmond’s single and came home on Jayson Werth’s groundout.
