Five scoreless from Strasburg helps Nats to 3-1 win

After a 2 hour and 12 minute rain delay, Stephen Strasburg finally took the mound for his much awaited first start after returning from the 15-day disabled list earlier today.

Braves second baseman Jace Peterson greeted Strasburg with a shot to straightaway center that Denard Span was able to run down on the warning track. Strasburg then struck out center fielder Cameron Maybin on a 97 mph heater.

Right fielder Nick Markakis followed with a base knock up the middle before Strasburg got A.J Pierzynski to ground out to end the frame.

Span ripped a double off the out of town scoreboard to leadoff the bottom of the inning. Anthony Rendon wasted no time bringing Span to the plate on a single down the right field line.

Strasburg gave up his second hit of the night on a base knock from Braves first baseman Chris Johnson to right field before retiring the side. He's thrown 32 pitches through two innings.

Update: Michael A. Taylor ripped a single to center to start the third and then Maybin booted the ball allowing Taylor to take second. Moments later, Taylor stole third where he scored easily from on a grounder to left field from Span.

Strasburg has yielded two hits with no walks and three strikeouts through three scoreless innings.

Update II: Taylor drilled an RBI base knock to left scoring Danny Espinosa in the fourth.

Strasburg has struck out five Braves, all on high heat, through four scoreless innings.

Update III: Strasburg's night ended after five scoreless innings. He scattered four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. 64 of Strasburg's 94 pitches went for strikes.

Right-hander Tanner Roark started the sixth for the Nationals.

Update IV: Roark blanked the Braves over two innings with one strikeout. Lefty Matt Thornton recorded the first two outs of the eighth before giving up a solo homer to dead center to Maybin. Nick Markakis and A.J. Pierzynski followed with consecutive singles and Nationals manager Matt Williams turned to right-hander David Carpenter, who got Juan Uribe to lift a fly ball to right to end the threat.

It got dicey for Drew Storen in the ninth, but he closed out the Braves for his 21st save.

The Nats beat the Braves 3-1.