Strasburg improved to 13-0, becoming only the fifth pitcher to start a season 13-0 during the Cy Young Award era.
Ironically, current teammate Max Scherzer was the most recent to join that elite group as a member of the Tigers in 2013.
Strasburg also has the best record to open a season by a National League pitcher since Rube Marquard started the 1912 season 19-0.
The 27-year-old right-hander did most of the heavy lifting himself on Friday, pitching eight innings and allowing just one run on three hits. He also knocked in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning when the Pirates botched a sacrifice bunt attempt and failed to record an out. That opened the door to a four-run inning that would prove to be the difference in Washington’s win.
Strasburg’s eight innings matched a season high, and he still hasn’t allowed more than four runs in any single start this season. That’s led to an impressive 2.51 ERA, while the Nationals have posted a 16-1 record in games he’s started.
Amazingly, Strasburg has seen his effectiveness increase since returning from a two-week DL-stint in June.
In his return start against Cincinnati on July 3, Strasburg was removed after pitching 7 2/3 no-hit innings. Only an elevated pinch count prevented him from going after history. Had he completed the no-hitter, we’d be talking about his recent stretch in the same vein we’ve talked about Clayton Kershaw and Jake Arrieta during similar stretches over the last two seasons.
Even if you don’t value the win stat highly, he deserves that type of attention right now. This is about more than wins. This is about Stephen Strasburg taking his place among baseball’s elite.