Nationals' Stephen Strasburg flashes elite form in second straight win off DL
Stephen Strasburg has been a different pitcher since returning to the Washington Nationals from the disabled list, as he demonstrated Sunday.
In his second outing back from the DL, Strasburg threw seven innings and gave up only four hits and two earned runs, striking out nine batters and earning the victory in the Nats' 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The right-hander threw a season-high 113 pitches in the game.
"He pitched great. No restrictions up to 110 pitches," manager Matt Williams said. "Good fastball, even in the last inning. Made a good pitch to get out of it. It's nice that he's healthy. That's nice that he's going out there and had no issues. When he doesn't, that could be the result."
Since returning from a trapezius injury, the 26-year-old has picked up two consecutive wins, reducing his ERA from 6.55 to 5.49 in the process.
He reported feeling well after the game and was happy with his pitch execution.
"Fastball command was good. The changeup is starting to come back to me, and I'm executing it a lot better. The curveball was there, too," Strasburg said. "It's good trying to get into a routine. Everything is feeling good. I'm going to stick to the program and keep moving forward."
(h/t MLB.com)
