John Matthews
LOS ANGELES — (WMAL) So much for that.
Monday night’s long-awaited first-ever matchup between baseball’s top fireballers was previewed with as much hype as ESPN could muster, featuring the nationally-televised showdown between the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw and the Nats’ Stephen Strasburg throughout it’s Monday Sportscenter.
Instead, the audience got Yasmiero Petit.
Strasburg, baseball’s only season-long starting pitcher without a loss, was scratched less than an hour and a half before gametime Monday night with what was described as an upper back strain. He told reporters he had initially felt something in his back on Saturday.
“I was doing some exercises in the weight room. Felt a little pinch, didn’t think much of it,” Strasburg said. “But as that day went on, my back started to lock up a little bit more. I tried to get treatment as much as I could the last two days.”
With Strasburg on the fence, Manager Dusty Baker alerted Petit that he might have to step in, and he did, surviving six innings on short notice, giving up three runs on five hits in six innings of work in the Nationals 4 – 1 loss.
The Nationals (43-28), losers of three straight on their west coast swing, never managed to challenge Kershaw, who gave up six hits and just one run in seven innings to maintain his base-ball leading Earned Run Average at .154.
Baker couldn’t get too upset with his team’s lack of offense.
“Everybody has difficulty with Kershaw,” Baker said. “He’s a nasty man.”
Strasburg says he hopes to return for his next scheduled start.
“I think it’s something that’s manageable. It’s gotten better — that’s the big thing. It’s just still there,” he said. “I just don’t want to make the same mistake I made last year and have it become a long term thing.”
Strasburg becomes the first Nationals’ starter to miss mis spot in the rotation this season. Assuming he’s available, he’ll start on Sunday in Milwaukee against the Brewers.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: AP/John Minchillo)
