It took Stephen Strasburg seven pitches, five of them strikes to get through a 1-2-3 first inning that saw the Nats' '09 no.1 overall pick facing some major leaguers on Detroit's Triple-A Mud Hens' roster like Scott Sizemore and Carlos Guillen, who's down in Toledo rehabbing from an injury before he returns to the Tigers. Strasburg allowed a single in the second, but retired the side without the runner advancing from first. A leadoff triple in the third led to the first run scored on Strasburg in Triple-A, when he retired two batters after the leadoff hit and a passed ball allowed the runner to score from third, for an unearned run.
The second run Strasburg allowed tonight was earned, however. Carlos Guillen lined a single to right on a 1-1 fastball and one-out later Jeff Frazier, a 27-year-old '04 3rd Round pick by the Tigers, doubled to left on a 1-0 change from Strasburg that stayed up in the zone. Runners on second and third, and a grounder to left by Casper Wells on a first-pitch fastball scores the first earned run on Strasburg since he arrived in Syracuse four starts back, but the 21-year-old right-hander recovers and got a backwards K and a lineout to short to end the fourth. A swinging strikeout, groundout and flyout ended a 1-2-3 fifth and after just 52 pitches, 36 of them strikes over 5.0 innings pitched in which he allows 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned and strikes out 5 without walking anyone, Strasburg's done.
According to @NatsTownNews, in a Twitter message sent out after the game, the future Nationals' starter's, "...combined ERA with Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg is 0.99 (5 ER/45.1 IP)."
• In 4 starts at Triple-A Syracuse, Strasburg's Line: 4 GS, 23.1 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 0.39 ERA, 11 H, 4 BB (1.54 BB/9), 27 K's (10.41 K/9).