Baker believes Strasburg's conditioning has improved

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg is seeking his 11th win of the season today against the visiting Chicago Cubs. The win would also give the Nationals a series victory over the first-place Cubs.

An 11th win would match Strasburg's win total from last season (11-7).

Manager Dusty Baker didn't know Strasburg before this season, but has noticed a calmness with the way Strasburg goes about his business with each game. Baker believes one difference is that Strasburg is stronger physically this season.

"His maturity level and his quiet confidence and his sureness (stand out)," Baker said. "His stuff has always been there and probably he's in better shape than ever. Because if you don't condition your mind and your body to go past a certain point then you don't know what your threshold is if you never get past that certain point. Which was understandable by the organization trying to protect the investment and not wanting to get hurt but then he ended up getting hurt anyway."

Baker likes to let his starters get out of trouble and even if things don't go well early in games, he's not quick to pull them. More often than not, Baker staying with his starter after early trouble has paid off.

Most of his guys can last seven innings and well over 100 pitches regardless of the game situation. Knowing he would want Strasburg to stay in games, Baker asked the right-hander to work hard in the off season so he was strong enough to handle the rigors of late innings late in the schedule.

"He trains probably more now," Baker said of Strasburg. "I asked him to step it up too, I said 'hey man, step your conditioning up.' Being a horse, we don't have to take you out when you get to that 100-pitch mark. Some nights it could be 110, some nights it could be 115, other nights it could be 90. But at least if you get to that point where we and you know what your maximum threshold is that would help him and us."

Strasburg has also added his cutter to give hitters another pitch to worry about. His main pitches are his fastball, his changeup and now his breaking ball. Baker likes seeing Strasburg get multiple outs with different pitches, but he cautions overuse of the cutter as a substitute of his tried and true fastball.

"I just don't want him to fall in love with that cutter, because I've seen pitchers fall in love with that cutter and then they lose their fastball," Baker warned. "If he can use it sparingly, just not fall in love with it, because a fastball that doesn't cut usually cuts over the fence because it's a nothing fastball."

Strasburg has not faced the Cubs since 2013. He has won 35 games and lost only 18 in his last 70 starts. But 10-0 is his best start ever. Beating the Cubs in what could be a playoff preview would be another positive step in what is sizing up to be a career season.