Strasburg not down after 8-2 setback, laments two pitches

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg was pretty satisfied with his work in Thursday's 8-2 loss to the Mets, but would want back two pitches and a misstep.

Strasburg gave his team a chance. The Nationals were down only 4-2 when he departed.

Yoenis Cespédes hit a solo shot in the fourth on a low four-seam fastball. Michael Conforto gave the Mets a 4-2 lead on a two-run shot in the fifth. That pitch was a 97 mph four-seam fastball on a 1-2 count.

"I thought my stuff was pretty good," Strasburg said. "I definitely want two pitches back. I looked at the video. And Cespédes is a low-ball hitter and I didn't throw it where I wanted to throw it. It was a ball, but good piece of hitting. It is what it is. And obviously Conforto, I missed my spot there again, too. It's early and I wish I had those two pitches back, but I'll learn from it."

There was also a rare balk in the second. With Jay Bruce on third after a double and two groundouts, Strasburg walked Kevin Plawecki. In his attempt to hold the runner, he came forward before throwing to first base. A balk was called, and Bruce scored the Mets' first run.

"Yeah, it was a balk," Strasburg said. "I was kind of in between, I don't know what happened. I was thinking step off and I just spun and obviously, when you don't spin off, you have to throw the ball. I was thinking step off."

The Nats have lost three in a row, two by aces Max Scherzer and Strasburg. But after Thursday's defeat, Strasburg wasn't going to let that bring him down. He finished six innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Strasburg fired 92 pitches, 65 for strikes.

"I think it's, for me, it's trying to keep it close, try to keep the team in the game as long as I can," Strasburg said. "I was still able to do that, but at the same time, I know mistakes were made and I paid the price for it. Sometimes you get away with them. But this time I didn't and that's baseball."

Manager Davey Martinez agreed: "He was fine. He was good. He said he made a couple bad pitches, but other than that, he did well."

The Nats have managed just three runs in their last two games. It really isn't about the pitching right now. They're just trying to get some productive at-bats to ignite the offense.