Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg dominant at start, allows 2-run homer in 4th

Strasburg strong early, but gives up home run

WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg’s major league career started with a 97 mph fastball — and it didn’t take long for baseball’s newest wunderkind to begin piling up strikeouts.

With heaters reaching 100 mph and nasty curveballs that seemed impossible to hit, the Washington Nationals phenom struck out six of his first nine batters Tuesday night against Pittsburgh before a standing-room-only crowd.

Strasburg was cruising until the fourth inning, when Delwyn Young golfed a 90 mph changeup into the first row in right field for a two-run homer that gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead. The ball would have made a great souvenir, but a fan threw it back onto the field.

Cameras flashed as Strasburg threw his first pitch — well inside to leadoff hitter Andrew McCutchen. Fans booed when umpire Tom Hallion called it a ball.

Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez then handed the ball to Hallion and it was removed from play for posterity.

McCutchen lined out to shortstop on a 2-0 pitch. Strasburg then got Neil Walker on a grounder to first and struck out Lastings Milledge with a pair of wicked curveballs for a 1-2-3 inning.

The day was nicknamed “Strasmus” — and it was the biggest baseball event in the nation’s capital since the sport returned in 2005 after a 33-year absence. To go real deep into history, one could argue that Strasburg had the most anticipated Washington rookie pitching debut since Walter Johnson at the long-forgotten American League Park on Aug. 2, 1907.

Only one Pirates batter reached against Strasburg in the first three innings. Andy LaRoche hit an opposite-field single in the second.

In the fourth, Strasburg allowed back-to-back singles. One of the runners was erased by a double play, but Young followed with his third homer of the season.

Strasburg was promoted after dominating the minors, going 7-2 with a 1.30 ERA, 65 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 11 starts in Double-A and Triple-A. His debut came nearly a year to the day after he was drafted No. 1 overall, and one day after the Nationals — who have lost 100 games in consecutive seasons — chose 17-year-old hitting sensation Bryce Harper with the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft.

Strasburg is a low-key kid in a high-hype world, a focused 21-year-old whose fastball is much more lively than his news conferences. He quietly went about his business preparing to take the mound, fiddling with his glove a few hours before the game at his new locker, located between those of Wil Nieves and J.D. Martin.

Washington sold out Nationals Park for only the second time all season, and went through an extra 2,000 standing-room-only tickets a few hours before the game. Fans cheered when Strasburg emerged from the dugout at 6:24 p.m. with pitching coach Steve McCatty. Surrounded by photographers and cameramen, Strasburg grinned at McCatty and said, “Let’s go.”

Strasburg used the center-field wall to do some stretching and then warmed up in the bullpen, where fans stood six-deep to watch. He received a standing ovation when he walked back to the dugout after the national anthem, and it was a funny moment when McCatty — not Strasburg — doffed his cap to acknowledge the cheers.

Among those in attendance was Strasburg’s coach at San Diego State, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.

Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said Strasburg was on strict limits and would likely throw no more than 90 pitches. Asked what he told the rookie before the game, Riggleman said he asked Strasburg the distance from the mound to home plate in the minors.

When Strasburg answered 60 feet, 6 inches, Riggleman said: “You’ve got a good chance — because that’s what it is here, too.”

Rodriguez, a 20-year big league veteran, was activated from the 15-day disabled list in time for the game.

“He knows what day it is,” Riggleman said.