Strasburg slows down, ends up dominating Astros

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It might sound counterintuitive to someone who can throw a baseball as hard and as precise as he does, but Stephen Strasburg knows he's better when he throws with 90 percent effort, not 100 percent.

That's especially true in spring training, when Strasburg's mind tempts him to give everything he's got.

"You want to see it for yourself first," the right-hander said. "Because no matter how long the layoff, you want to make sure you've still got it. Then obviously the adrenaline doesn't flow as much down here as it did the last time you pitched. So that's another thing: Mentally you have to try to get yourself up, but also not force it. Just let it play out."

Strasburg didn't do that as well as he wanted to in his first start of the spring, a full 12 days ago. Today when he took the mound again to face the Astros, he put that less-is-more plan into action. And the results were spectacular.

Strasburg retired the first 12 batters he faced before surrendering back-to-back singles to open the fifth (one of them to the open left side of the infield with the shift on). He would allow one run to score, but still departed having thrown only 46 total pitches in five innings, 36 of those for strikes.

"It's starting to come together," he said.

That's an understatement. Though he was facing an Astros lineup featuring only one regular - Josh Reddick - Strasburg was firing on all cylinders. His fastball, even if thrown at 90 percent, still consistently registered 94-95 mph. His curveball and changeup were both sharp. He struck out four, induced seven groundball outs and barely broke a sweat during what wound up a 6-2 Nationals win with all six runs scoring in the top of the ninth.

It was in stark contrast to Strasburg's previous start, when he gave up three runs to the Rays in 1 1/3 innings and had to be pulled early as his pitch count rose. This time, his pitch count was so low, he probably could've gone to the bullpen afterward and thrown some more to build the number up.

In the end, Strasburg's innings total was more important than his pitch count.

"That resting between innings and getting back up, that's a lot bigger than just throwing a bunch of pitches," manager Davey Martinez said.

Martinez was especially pleased to see how free and easy Strasburg threw those pitches. He noted how at times in the past, the veteran would stride toward the plate with so much force, it was audible all the way from the dugout.

"I used to hear that front foot come down super hard," Martinez said. "And now it's not. When he's like that, I know he's good."

The manager was asked if he really could hear Strasburg's foot striking the ground from so far away.

"Oh, yeah," Martinez replied. "He's a big guy, you know."

Strasburg should make two more starts before camp breaks. He would then be lined up either to start the season's second game or perhaps opening day against the Mets if Max Scherzer's recently revealed side "ailment" prevents him from being ready for that prime assignment.

"Physically, it's coming around," Strasburg said. "I think today was a good sign, because I kind of wanted to slow myself down and not feel like I had to throw harder. To me, the stuff was right there, so that's encouraging. To get into that groove, where it's 90 percent effort instead of 100 percent, you can be more efficient like that over the course of the season."