Was he psyched? Was he chomping at the bit?
Advertisement
“He did everything that was asked of him (before the start)”, Baker said. “I know he is a competitor”.
The Nationals’ darkest fears were realized on Wednesday, when Stephen Strasburg left his start after feeling a pinch in the back of his elbow, the same part of his body that had him on the disabled list for the past three weeks and the same area that was operated on in the Tommy John surgery he had back in 2010.
Strasburg wasn’t in the clubhouse after the game.
Strasburg felt discomfort in his elbow as far back as the All-Star break in July.
“That was a long walk”, Baker said. “So I am hoping he is okay. So we’re hoping that it’s something minor, but we’ll find out tomorrow”. He is frustrated and upset.
“I was just really confident tonight, ” he said. “They say they’re fine, then they run and jump and everything, and as soon as they get back in action they put a little extra”. He’s been on the disabled list since mid-August, and was activated in time for Wednesday night’s showdown with the Atlanta Braves.
Foltynewicz allowed only one hit over his final four innings and finished with eight strikeouts and three walks.
“It’s definitely not the best thing to look at”, Lucas Giolito said.
Atlanta’s Jace Peterson and Washington’s Anthony Rendon traded RBI singles in the 10th.
After a brief discussion, he would depart with a 1-0 lead.
With everything that happened early on seeing Strasburg leave, the team could have easily succumbed to 3-1 and 4-3 deficits.
The slugger is hitting.229 with 35 homers and 78 RBIs.
Daniel Murphy tied it up (and collected his 53rd multi-hit game) with a bases-loaded, two-run single in the Nationals’ half of the seventh, 3-3.
“The kid’s playing well. You see the way every day he’s getting foul tips on his hands, legs, so Wilson’s doing a great job for us”. “He’s handling everything spectacular”, interim Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Strasburg was on the DL with elbow soreness, although it was believed to be more precautionary than anything else that a large lead in the NL East over the New York Mets afforded them.
With two more hits on Tuesday, Trea Turner is now 18-for-42 (.429) against the Braves this season.
Over the past 35 games against the Braves, the Nationals are 28-7.
With Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz attempting to bunt, Strasburg threw an 0-2 pitch that sailed high. Strasburg was replaced by Sean Burnett, who gave up Adonis Garcia’s RBI single.
Strasburg started out 13-0 this season, and went into this game with a 15-4 record. Strasburg then threw a wild pitch, grimaced in pain, and was eventually taken out of the game after a meeting with an athletic trainer. “He wasn’t trying to be a hero”.
Advertisement
“We were able to come back and win that game”.
