WASHINGTON -- Stephen Strasburg is doing everything in his power to keep the Washington Nationals' rapidly dwindling playoff hopes alive.
On Sunday afternoon against the Marlins, Strasburg tallied 10 strikeouts in seven innings to lead the Nats to a 13-3 win. Along with a four-hit day from Yunel Escobar and a three-run homer from Tyler Moore, his second in two games, Strasburg helped Washington -- which notched its seventh victory in eight contests -- to move within 6.5 games of the first-place Mets with 13 left to play.
Since Aug. 8, when he returned from an oblique strain that sent him to the disabled list for the second time this season, Strasburg been dominant, going 5-2 with a 2.24 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP. That includes a late August start in which the 27-year-old righty exited after just four innings with back discomfort. The team skipped his next start as a precautionary measure. In three outings since, the former top overall pick in 2009 has been as brilliant as he's ever been.
Prior to this month, Strasburg had never racked up double-digit strikeouts in consecutive starts. Now, he's done it three times in a row. While he's still got a way to go catch White Sox hurler Chris Sale, who earlier this season tied a major-league record by fanning 10-plus hitters in eight consecutive starts, Strasburg's string of three straight is tied for the longest streak in the National League this year (Clayton Kershaw and Cincinnati's Raisel Iglesias have also done it), according to ESPN Stats & Info. And it's not like he's feasting on whiff-prone teams, either.
Eleven days ago, against a potent Mets offense whose 20.6 percent K rate is fifth lowest in the National League, Strasburg punched out 13 batters. His last time out, facing a Phillies squad that ranks middle of the NL pack in strikeouts, he tied a career-high by whiffing 14 hitters. On Sunday, his 10 strikeouts came against a Marlins team that's fanned fewer times than all but two NL teams.
Not impressed? Then chew on this: Three of Strasburg's 10 Ks on Sunday came against Ichiro Suzuki. The same Suzuki who boasts a K rate of less than 10 percent for his career. The same Ichiro Suzuki who's never whiffed more than 86 times in a season and had yet to whiff more than twice in a single game this year.
According to Matt Williams, the key to Strasburg's recent run has been his health. “When he was dealing with the issues and being uncomfortable out there,” said the Nats skipper, “it wasn't as easy for him to throw the ball where wants to. But since he's been healthy and feeling good, the curve has been good, the change been good. But it all starts with the fastball, and he's been able to control it on both sides of the plate.”
“Obviously, my arm feels strong at this point,” said Strasburg, who's just the second hurler in Nationals/Expos history to have at least 10 Ks in three straight games (Pedro Martinez). But his recent dominance -- Strasburg's K:BB ratio is 37:3 over his past three starts and 72:6 since returning from the DL -- isn't just about strength, but also about strategy; about mixing up his offerings.
Against the Mets, Strasburg threw his curveball a season-high 39 percent of the time and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts with it. His last two times out, the fastball's been his primary out pitch, as he's tallied a combined 16 Ks with the heater. Then there's the changeup, which he used to induce three whiffs in his last start, but didn't punch anyone out with on Sunday.
Said Strasburg: “I think it's more just the sequencing and the approach that Willie [catcher Wilson Ramos], myself, and Cat [pitching coach Steve McCatty] have come up with. I've been able to keep them off-balance.”
As a result, the Nationals' playoff hopes are still alive. For now, anyway.