Pirates have no answer for Strasburg early (Pirates rally for 3-2 win)

The first inning has been a bugaboo for Stephen Strasburg this season, but he got through the first against the Pirates in 1-2-3 fashion, then followed up with a six-pitch second inning, getting an inning-ending 6-3 double play off the bat of Pedro Alvarez after hitting Russell Martin with a pitch.

In his first 10 starts of the season, opposing batters battered Strasburg for a .383 average and he posted a 7.20 ERA in the first inning. Second innings have been better: a .222 batting average against and a 4.50 ERA. But getting through the first two innings in pitch-efficient fashion and dominating along the way is certainly a pleasant development.

First baseman Adam LaRoche rejoined the Nationals in Pittsburgh and will likely be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday, the first day he's eligble. LaRoche's minor league injury rehabilitation assignment moved to Harrisburg last night and he went 1-for-4 with a walk, showing no ill effects from the left quad strain that landed him on the DL.

When LaRoche comes back, either Tyler Moore or Greg Dobbs will become expendable. My money is on Dobbs staying because of his success as a pinch-hitter, and the Nationals would probably prefer that Moore play every day at Triple-A.

Update: Pirates righty Gerrit Cole was matching Strasburg zero for zero until the fourth, when Ian Desmond rocketed an 87 mph slider into the stands in left-center for his ninth homer and a 1-0 lead.

Update II: The lead didn't last long, as Neil Walker hit a one-out homer to center in the bottom of the fourth for a 1-1 tie. Walker's blast was the first hit allowed by Strasburg.

Cole appeared to turn his right ankle bounding off the mound on Nate McLouth's inning-ending grouder, but it looks like he'll at least try to take the mound in the fifth.

Update III: WIlson Ramos hit an RBI single in the fifth, putting the Nationals back on top 2-1. With two down, Anthony Rendon singled and Jayson Werth walked before Ramos fisted a single into short right field to plate Rendon. Cole hit Desmond to load the bases, but Dobbs grounded out to first to end the inning.

Update IV: The Pirates havetaken a 3-2 lead in the seventh. Russell Martin led off with a single and moved to third on Starling Marte's one-out double. Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata lofted a sac fly to center to score Martin and Strasburg walked pinch-hitter Travis Snider. Josh Harrison singled to center, and Snider was thrown out at third, but not before Tabata crossed with the go-ahead run.

Strasburg is done after seven innings and 110 pitches (71 for strikes). He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out seven. Drew Storen is on to work the eighth.

Update V: Mark Melancon struck out McLouth looking, got pinch-hitter Zach Walters on a grounder to second and retired Denard Span on a slow roller to second. The Pirates win 3-2. The Nationals have lost four straight and fal a game under .500.