Tonight at 7:10 p.m. the Washington Nationals (47-45) will send one of the best young pitchers in baseball, Stephen Strasburg (5-6, 2.55 ERA) to the mound to kick off a three-game set with the Miami Marlins in Marlins Park. The game can be live streamed here. Nationals fans who want to listen in can do so on 106.7 The Fan, while Marlins fans can hear the game on 104.3 FM.
Strasburg's record is not indicative of how he has pitched in 2013, which has been very well. Despite having just five wins, he has gotten a loss in five starts in which he gave up three runs or less.
Strasburg has racked up 107 strikeouts to just 33 walks in 2013, and has registered a 1.063 WHIP until this point in the year. His most recent outing, he only managed to make it through six innings, and gave up four runs, but was supported by the offense and got a rare victory.
"It's good to put runs up there on the board for Stras," said Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. Manager Davey Johnson gave credit to Strasburg, who fought through an outing when his stuff wasn't as sharp as usual to still strikeout a season-high nine hitters.
"He was battling," Johnson said. "I thought he threw good. Sometimes he fights himself ... seems like the last couple of weeks he's been snake bit."
The one problem Strasburg might run into is Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, far and away the Marlins top hitter and a guy who has owned the Nationals ace. Stanton is 6-for-16 in his career vs. Strasburg with one home run and four doubles.
While Stanton has been slumping, he doubled and walked three times last night, which could be an indicator that he's getting hot.
"That's a great sign," manager Mike Redmond said. "He's such a big presence in that lineup. You can see how in situations they start pitching around him, but when he stays in the zone and handles the pitches he knows he's capable of handling, he can dominate a game."
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