Stephen Strasburg rolling into 1st playoffs in top form
WASHINGTON -- When Stephen Strasburg throws the first pitch of the Washington Nationals' Division Series Game 1 today, don't flash back to the 2012 playoffs.
There's no use. Strasburg wasn't there. The Nationals weren't there long. Yet, that one week has defined a franchise and a pitcher ever since.
Consider instead the following spring when Strasburg stopped during a vigorous workout on the day before training camp opened.
"I'm really ready," he said firmly. "Answer the bell and throw 200-plus innings and be a guy in the rotation who can be reliable and go seven, eight, nine innings every time out."
Well, America (and more specifically you, the San Francisco Giants), here he is.
Say finally, if you must. But the Strasburg taking the mound today is the one who had the "once-in-a-generation" tag when he was drafted first overall in 2009. The one, who with 2010 No. 1 Bryce Harper would be the focal point of repeated playoff appearances.
Forget all that stuff, because that's exactly what Strasburg has finally done.
No baggage about the innings limit that controversially ended his 2012 season before the playoffs. No cloud of expectations hanging over every start, every pitch.
"It's confidence," says Nationals manager Matt Williams, who selected Strasburg for the Game 1 honor over the rest of his deep rotation. "The most impressive thing is that his September has been his best. He's strong, his pitches are good. He feels good about his season. The fact that you can have your last month be your best: That's a statement."
Don't expect much in the way of verbal statements from Strasburg, who at 26 enters the playoffs on a remarkable roll.
"If I go out there and compete, I'm going to be OK," he says. "I can sleep well at night. I can't really worry about whether I'm missing a spot or one side. It's nice to recognize that, but I can't really go out there and beat a dead horse with it."
A dead horse really is what all the 2012 controversy has become, two years removed from the Nationals' stunning Division Series loss to St. Louis, a year removed from maybe a more surprising second-place, playoff-less finish.
Strasburg has halted most of the discussion simply by pitching – which is exactly his approach these days.
A 14-11 record and 3.14 earned run average is a nice season but, Stephen, what have you done for us lately?
Well, consider the magic threshold of 159 1/3 innings - that's when the Nationals pulled the plug on a fading Strasburg in 2012.
In 2014? He's made nine starts since passing that mark - and posted a 6-1 record, a 1.69 ERA, 56 strikeouts and eight walks in 58 2/3 innings. He even went four consecutive starts without a walk.
And he enters the playoffs on a 20-inning scoreless streak over three starts.
That finish brings Strasburg to a career-high 215 innings. He got to 183 last year, but without the finishing flourish.
In the game he passed that 159-inning point in 2013, he allowed two hits and no earned runs, struck out 10. But in his three remaining starts after that, he gave up nine runs in 19 innings. And don't forget he allowed 12 runs and 17 hits over his final three starts (14 innings) of 2012 before the Nationals pulled the plug.
So, maybe he wouldn't have been the difference-maker in those playoffs.
"Without passing any judgment one way or another, it's probably an important reason why he's here right now," first-year manager Williams says of the '12 decision. "He's worked really hard to get to the point where he feels great in September."
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Progress over 2014 season
Strasburg cites continual fine-tuning with pitching coach Steve McCatty, a revised conditioning program designed to improve his season-long stamina and the growth that comes with learning to relieve self-imposed pressure.
"As the season went on, I got more comfortable executing pitches," Strasburg says. "I learned a lot watching guys do their thing in between starts. It's been a good learning experience."
Not to mention the results.
"My goal was to throw 200 innings in the regular season," he says. "I did that. I hope I can keep doing it for however many more games."
Strasburg, whose penchant for perfection hindered him at times early in his career, might come across as more easy-going about his role and the expectations.
Yet, the drive remains.
"There were times earlier in the season when he got a little agitated," Williams says. "That's a good thing. He's not afraid to knock on my door, come in the office and say, 'Hey, you can let me go a little bit longer if you like.'"
Strasburg isn't alone in that desire.
Says Harper of his hard-throwing teammate, "98. 97, 98, 98, 97, that's pretty incredible. That's what he used to look like in college. Stuff like that for seven, eight innings. When he has that mentality going out there and throwing that cheese, that makes everything else electric. Fans like to see guys throwing 98, 97. It's fun."
Strasburg shrugs off the high velocity as something that can come and go from start to start, but Williams insists it's a product of Strasburg's development.
"I think it's confidence," Williams says. "When he's throwing the ball where he wants to, he just lets it go. When he tries to throw it on the corner it's not 96, 97. But when he feels good about it, you see that fastball ramp up, which causes the changeup to be better and the breaking ball to be better."
And causes Strasburg to be the dominant guy who showed up in 2010 and immediately energized the franchise with 14 strikeouts and no walks in seven innings in his debut.
That was before the elbow surgery later that year, which led to the innings limit two years later, which led to … well, isn't that the dead horse again?
Maybe so, if you're Strasburg; or general manager Mike Rizzo, who's seeing his long-term vision for the team fall back into place with the NL's best record for the second time in three seasons; or if you're one of the 14 current Nationals who played in that '12 playoff series.
The opportunity to erase those nagging "what-ifs" even extends across the field this week.
Giants outfielder Michael Morse was on that '12 Nationals team.
"A lot of people don't realize you might only get one shot," Morse said earlier this season. "One shot. That could have been the only shot. I kept watching Stras throwing bullpens, still running, still doing his thing. I thought, 'Man, maybe he's going to come out of the bullpen.' Or in Game 5, the lights are going to turn off, the spotlight is going to come on, he's going to run out."
He'll run out Friday. No spotlight necessary for the mid-afternoon start, but it will be there.
Says the new and improved Strasburg, "All I can do is compete."