Stephen Strasburg did something he had never done in his big league career on Thursday evening in Petco Park. Strasburg had never pitched past seven innings, but he went eight complete and dominated the Padres as the Washington Nationals took care of San Diego, 6-2.
Padres starter Edinson Volquez held the Nationals hitless through three innings, but gave up a walk and then a home run to Adam LaRoche on a change-up in the fourth. The big inning was the fifth when the Nationals scored three runs and that was too much for the Padres to overcome with the dominating pitching of Strasburg.
“I struggled with my change-up tonight. I think my best pitch is my change-up, but that pitch [to LaRoche] was down the middle. It was supposed to go down and away,” Volquez said after the game.
“It’s the kind of day you want to keep pitching,” Edinson said concerning his five-inning outing. “But you can’t because you’re struggling with your secondary pitches, and that happened tonight.”
The Padres got a run each in the fifth and six innings, but Bryce Harper hit a 431-foot bomb over the center field fence off of reliever Tyson Ross. The Padres couldn’t get anything going to answer that blast.
Buddy Said postgame, “I saw good stuff [from Volquez], live fastball, they hit the secondary pitches tonight.”
But Strasburg was the story of the game. He commanded his pitches and held the Padres to the two runs (one earned) on only three hits and three walks.
Stephen bought 50 tickets to Thursday’s game for friends and relatives to see him. They were definitely rewarded.
Notes:
Clayton Richard (extended effect from intestinal virus) made a strong rehab start for AAA Tucson against the Iowa Cubs on Thursday in Iowa. Richard went six innings allowing a run on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Tucson lost to Iowa 1-0 in that game, for those interested.
Logan Forsythe (right plantar fasciitis) is making progress along with Cameron Maybin (right wrist impingement), with hitting and fielding in warm-ups. No word on when they are slated to rehab in the minor leagues.
Friday, the Padres will offer Burch Smith (0-0, 54.00) a second start against Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.20) of the Nationals in the second game of the four-game series. Game time is 7:10 PM PDST, on radio 1090 AM and televised on Fox Sports San Diego. Friday is retro 80’s Night, the team will wear uniforms from the 1984 team that won the National League Pennant. The first 20,000 fans through the gates Friday will receive a pair of Knockaround Sunglasses, whatever those are. Former Padres player Kurt Bevacqua will throw the Ceremonial First Pitch. Can’t get any more retro than Kurt Bevacqua.
Stephen Strasburg did something he had never done in his big league career on Thursday evening in Petco Park. Strasburg had never pitched past seven innings, but he went eight complete and dominated the Padres as the Washington Nationals took care of San Diego, 6-2.
Padres starter Edinson Volquez held the Nationals hitless through three innings, but gave up a walk and then a home run to Adam LaRoche on a change-up in the fourth. The big inning was the fifth when the Nationals scored three runs and that was too much for the Padres to overcome with the dominating pitching of Strasburg.
“I struggled with my change-up tonight. I think my best pitch is my change-up, but that pitch [to LaRoche] was down the middle. It was supposed to go down and away,” Volquez said after the game.
“It’s the kind of day you want to keep pitching,” Edinson said concerning his five-inning outing. “But you can’t because you’re struggling with your secondary pitches, and that happened tonight.”
The Padres got a run each in the fifth and six innings, but Bryce Harper hit a 431-foot bomb over the center field fence off of reliever Tyson Ross. The Padres couldn’t get anything going to answer that blast.
Buddy Said postgame, “I saw good stuff [from Volquez], live fastball, they hit the secondary pitches tonight.”
But Strasburg was the story of the game. He commanded his pitches and held the Padres to the two runs (one earned) on only three hits and three walks.
Stephen bought 50 tickets to Thursday’s game for friends and relatives to see him. They were definitely rewarded.
Notes:
Clayton Richard (extended effect from intestinal virus) made a strong rehab start for AAA Tucson against the Iowa Cubs on Thursday in Iowa. Richard went six innings allowing a run on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Tucson lost to Iowa 1-0 in that game, for those interested.
Logan Forsythe (right plantar fasciitis) is making progress along with Cameron Maybin (right wrist impingement), with hitting and fielding in warm-ups. No word on when they are slated to rehab in the minor leagues.
Friday, the Padres will offer Burch Smith (0-0, 54.00) a second start against Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.20) of the Nationals in the second game of the four-game series. Game time is 7:10 PM PDST, on radio 1090 AM and televised on Fox Sports San Diego. Friday is retro 80’s Night, the team will wear uniforms from the 1984 team that won the National League Pennant. The first 20,000 fans through the gates Friday will receive a pair of Knockaround Sunglasses, whatever those are. Former Padres player Kurt Bevacqua will throw the Ceremonial First Pitch. Can’t get any more retro than Kurt Bevacqua.