Strasburg looking for strong finish to regular season (Nats up 5-1)

Whether his next start comes in the wild card game, the National League Division Series or not until 2020, Stephen Strasburg took the mound today needing to close out his strong regular season on a high note and help set the stage for whatever is next for the Nationals.

Strasburg got off to a fantastic start against the Phillies, facing the minimum through three scoreless innings, striking out five of the nine batters he faced.

Strasburg, possibly a candidate to start Tuesday night's wild card game if Davey Martinez decides to use Max Scherzer in Sunday's regular season finale against the Indians, got the crowd fired up when he struck out Bryce Harper on a curveball in the top of the first. He allowed a one-out single to Jean Segura in the top of the second but bounced back to induce an inning-ending double play. He then struck out the side in the top of the third.

The Nationals staked their starter to a 2-0 lead thanks to Asdrúbal Cabrera's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first and Michael A. Taylor's leadoff homer in the bottom of the second. It was Taylor's first home run in 92 big league plate appearances this season, his first in any major league game since Aug. 9, 2018.

The Nats wasted a golden opportunity to add on in the bottom of the third when Victor Robles was picked off second base (after the Phillies challenged) and after Ryan Zimmerman was punched out by plate umpire Vic Carapazza with two men on base on a pitch that appeared to be out of the strike zone.

Strasburg returned to the mound for the top of the fourth and promptly gave up a solo homer down the right field line to César Hernández, but he battled back to strike out Harper for the second time today, this time on a high fastball.

The right-hander is now through four innings, the Nationals leading 2-1.

Update: The Nationals sent 23 men to the plate against Jason Vargas, and 11 of them reached safely. But only two of them had scored by the time Vargas was pulled with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. The good news: reliever Edgar Garcia allowed all three inherited runners to score without a ball ever being put in play. Yep, he walked Yan Gomes to force in one run, he uncorked a wild pitch to allow another run to score, then he watched as catcher Andrew Knapp was charged with a passed ball to bring home the third. The Nationals lead 5-1 after five.