The Washington Nationals are struggling in fourth place and haven’t had much to play for as the season winds down. It’s a perfect time to get Stephen Strasburg back into the line-up to rekindle the fans’ excitement.

Almost a year after he went under the knife for Tommy John surgery, the Nats pitching phenom returned to the mound to once again show he has the ability to dominate.

Making his first start on September 6^th against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Strasburg threw five shutout innings allowing just two hits while striking out four batters. He was on a limited pitch count (throwing just 56 pitches) but was incredibly efficient.

S.S. took the mound again for his second start against the Houston Astros and showed flashes of brilliance with a reminder he isn’t quite all the way back. In that game, Strasburg made it through just three innings with a similar pitch count but allowed just one run on three hits. The fastballer struck out four without walking a single hitter.

However, against the Astros, Strasburg’s control wasn’t as good as normal and some of his pitches were a tick slower than last year. He threw more pitches (57) in his three innings than it took him to get through five in his first start.

Despite not being perfect, Strasburg looks like he should be back to full strength for the Nationals in 2012, giving the team hope they can be relevant for the first time since moving to Washington, D.C.

Strasburg should make three more starts this year, taking it slow and hopefully avoiding any setbacks. When he was injured last season, numerous comparisons to Mark Prior were made, and will stick with Strasburg until he proves he can stay healthy over a full Major League season.

Strasburg can out the gate with a bang last season, striking out a record-setting 14 hitters in his 5-2 debut win then followed that game up with another impressive outing. Considered one of the best young pitching prospects ever, he signed a record $15.1 million contract but soon ran into arm trouble that led to the surgery.

With a full year of Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann, the Nationals could finally build the top of their rotation and will look to challenge the Braves and Phillies for a playoff spot if things go according to plan.

Used with permission of the author.

Brett is the editor and a contributor for www.BravesFTW.com. He has covered MLB and the Braves for numerous websites and is a regular contributor to Sports Climax. Follow Brett on Twitter.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Rookie sensation Stephen Strasburg seemed to pick up yesterday right where he left off after his 14-strike out debut on June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out the first two hitters he faced to start the first inning.

With this being Strasburg’s second start after striking out 14 with no walks in his first appearance, it was just a matter of time before he did give one up. That came in the fourth inning to another rookie in only his third major league game, Carlos Santana.

After a solid performance, Strasburg was pulled in the sixth after loading the bases but not before tallying eight K’s, walking five and giving up one home run which was one of just two hits. The Nats won 9-4, breaking a two-game losing streak.

The win improves Strasburg’s record to 2-0 and his ERA to 2.19. Like in game one, Strasburg had almost complete control. You could hear the sound of the ball popping Ivan Rodriguez’s mitt and knew it had to be traveling close to or at 100 mph.

Rodriguez seemed to notice Strasburg was having some problems with the mound early in the game, though Strasburg denied it at first. But in the fifth inning, he admitted he was sliding a bit and the ground’s crew came out to fix the mound before Strasburg started the sixth inning, but by then Strasburg, while still throwing in the 100 mph range, showed he was human. Manager Jim Riggleman, who had originally said he was going to hold Strasburg to a 100 pitch count, took him out after throwing 95 pitches, 52 of those strikes and with the bases loaded and the Nats leading 6-1.

Strasburg’s 18 strikeouts before issuing a walk is second in the majors. Johnny Cueto, of the Cincinnati Reds holds the record of striking out 22 batters before issuing a walk. He achieve that feat in 2008. That same year, Strasburg was a sophomore at San Diego State University. He went 8-3 with a 1.57 earned run average and 133 strikeouts in 971/2 innings for the Aztecs. That same year he struck out a Mountain West conference record 23 batters in a game on April 11 against the University of Utah. He has one career no-hitter, recorded in his final home start on May 8, 2009, against Air Force, where he also struck out 17 batters.

After two solid outtings, the consensus is if Strasburg can keep healthy, he could become the best pitcher Major League Baseball has ever seen.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

In addition to contributing to Sports Climax, Miriam Romain maintains a Chicago Cubs column for Examiner.com. The Chicago native has also been published in several Cubs annuals by Maple Street Press and is writing a book with the working title “Summers at Wrigley with my Dad.”

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Even before he took the mound for his National League debut tonight in Washington, Stephen Strasburg had become a household name. The flame-throwing pitcher’s debut came just one year after signing a record $15.1 million contract with the Nationals.

Hoping to help lift a slumping Nats team, Strasburg was put on the fast track to the majors. Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 21-year-old phenom lived up to the hype, striking out 14 of the 21 batters he faced and giving up two runs, both coming on a two-run dinger by Delwyn Young.

The most impressive stat may be the fact he walked not a single batter, even after falling behind 3-0 and 3-1 on a few occasions.

With a wicked curve ball coupled with his smoking fastball that reached 100 mph and was consistently in the high 90 mph range, Strasburg’s debut came in front of more than 40,000 fans at a standing room only Nationals Park.

After being greeted with a standing ovation, first inning jitters were apparent as Strasburg had trouble finding the strike zone, but once he found it, he was almost unstoppable.

Before taking the mound tonight, Strasburg was a sensation. During his short time at Triple-A Syracuse, he had a 1.08 ERA. He struck out 38 batters in 33.1 innings and walked only seven. Earlier this week, a baseball card of Strasburg sold on eBay for around $17,000 and tickets to tonight’s game were sold out within two hours of the announcement that Strasburg was being called up and starting.

Often compared to Kerry Wood, among other pitchers who have had incredible rookie years, Strasburg does appear to be somewhat different. Looking at all the angles, his mechanics, for one, are better than Wood’s. He was able to mix up his pitches, so hitters really didn’t know what his first pitch to them would be. But it was that awesome curve ball that was a joy for fans to watch, but a frustration to Pirates batters.

With this 5-2 win under his belt, Strasburg has a decision to make. The mayor of the town of Strasburg, VA, has said that if Strasburg won his first game, he would be awarded the Pride of Strasburg Award. If Strasburg accepts it in person, the town will be renamed Stephen Strasburg, VA, for one week.

Keep watching this kid. He looks like the real deal, and if he stays healthy, his career could provide historic numbers and end at Cooperstown in baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC