The Future Looks Bright

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The future is definitely looking brighter here in the DC area.  No, I am not talking about Barack Obama and his policies.  That looks as bleak as ever.  Instead, I am talking about the debut of Stephen Strasburg as the ace of the Washington Nationals pitching staff.

Tuesday night was the night that Nationals fans have been waiting all year to see.  Stephen Strasburg was the first player selected in the 2009 baseball draft.  In spring training, he was arguably their best pitcher, but started the season in the minor leagues at the AA level.

Strasburg pitched five games at the AA level before being promoted to AAA.  In AAA, he pitched six games before being called up to the Nats.  In eleven minor league starts, Strasburg went 7-2 with a 1.30 ERA with 65 strike outs.  He dominated.

To say the least, his debut was impressive.  OK, that could be an understatement.  He was tremendous.  In seven innings, Strasburg struck out 14 batters, a franchise record.  At one point, he registered 101 mph on the radar gun on one of his strikeouts.  He made one mistake, giving up a two run home run and left with a 4-2 lead.

The bullpen did it's job, shutting out the Pirates for the final two innings.  His teammates added another run in the eighth inning.  So the Stephen Strasburg era in Washington DC is off to a rousing start with a 5-2 win in his major league debut.  Yes, things are looking good in Washington.

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