WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg allowed two hits over five shutout innings Tuesday night in his first major-league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery, but the bullpen blew the lead as the Washington Nationals lost 7-3 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 2009 overall No. 1 draft pick again displayed the blurry fastball, the knee-buckling sinker and the fooled-again changeup that wowed the baseball world last year during his rookie season. Strasburg’s season came to an abrupt end when his elbow popped Aug. 21 in Philadelphia, and his long road back began when he had ligament replacement surgery last Sept. 3.
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.
Strasburg was set to get the win when he departed with a 3-0 lead, but the bullpen allowed the Dodgers to tie it in the sixth.
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 groundball that went under shortstop Ian Desmond’s glove. His fastball peaked at 99 mph.
The AP
