Washington Nationals swept with 7-4 loss to Miami Marlins: Stephen Strasburg is back though…

Stephen Strasburg got knocked around a bit, but it was nice to see him back on the mound in the majors…

Strasburg vs Miami:

Since he helped Washington win the World Series in 2019, earning an MVP nod for his work in the Fall Classic that year, Stephen Strasburg had made just seven starts for the Nationals before taking the mound tonight.

The 33-year-old righty made two starts in 2020’s 60-game season before surgery for carpal tunnel neuritis ended his 11th big league season, and he made just five starts in 2021, before surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome brought his 12th major league campaign to an end.

Following a long, measured rehab process, which stretched through the first two months-plus of the 2022 season, Strasburg built himself back up to the point he decided he was ready to return to the majors.

“We’ll see how far we can take him,” Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez said in confirming Strasburg’s return to the big league rotation on Tuesday.

“We’ll keep a close eye on him, but this is one of the reasons we wanted him to go through what he did, to make sure he’s fully ready.”

Strasburg gave up three runs in his first inning back, with Jazz Chisholm, Jr. bunting for a hit on the starter’s first pitch, stealing second, taking third on a Jesús Aguilar groundout, and, a walk to Avisaíl García later, scoring on a two-out RBI double to right by Jesús Sánchez, 1-0.

García and Sánchez both scored on a Jon Berti single to center in the next at-bat, and it was 3-0 Fish at the end of a 25-pitch frame by the Nats’ starter.

Strasburg struck out the side in a 12-pitch second, and stranded a leadoff hit-by-pitch in an 11-pitch third, then erased a one-out walk with an inning-ending 5-4-3 in the next at-bat in a 13-pitch fourth which left him at 61 total after four.

With the score 3-2 Marlins in the bottom of the fifth, Chisholm, Jr. bunted his way on again, then scored from first on a double to left by Garrett Cooper, who lined a 3-1 sinker to left, 4-2, and 5-2 when Jesús Aguilar drove Cooper in with an RBI single. Avisaíl García doubled out to left-center in the next at-bat, but Aguilar was thrown out at home plate on a perfect relay from Victor Robles to Luis García and on to catcher Riley Adams at home, two down, but a two-run home run to right by Jesús Sánchez ended Strasburg’s outing, 7-2 Fish.

Stephen Strasburg’s Line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 1 HR, 83 P, 53 S, 3/2 GO/FO.

Rogers vs D.C.:

Going up against the Nationals back on April 28th in the nation’s capital, Marlins’ left-hander Trevor Rogers held Miami’s NL East rivals to a run on two hits and two walks in six innings on the mound in a 3-2 win for the Fish.

In six up-and-down outings since they last saw him, Rogers put up a 6.26 ERA, a 6.54 FIP, and a .290/.362/.579 line against in 27 ¹⁄₃ IP, leaving him with a 5.80 ERA, a 5.18 FIP, and a .274/.350/.497 line against overall on the year.

He also had 21 walks in 45 innings pitched (4.20 BB/9) this year going into tonight’s start, but he avoided giving up any free passes through four scoreless frames he completed at just 57 pitches overall, as the Marlins jumped out to a 3-0 lead early.

Rogers issued his first walk of the game to Lane Thomas with two on and one out in the top of the fourth, loading the bases, but he got an out at home on a grounder to third by Ehire Adrianza, then battled Juan Soto for eight pitches before he gave up an opposite field two-run single on a 96 MPH fastball up high outside, 3-2.

After a long bottom of the fifth, in which his teammates added four runs, 7-2, Rogers was lifted, having thrown 85 pitches in five scoreless…

Trevor Rogers’ Line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 85 P, 54 S, 5/4 GO/FO.

Bullpen Action:

Erasmis Ramírez took over for the Nationals after Strasburg gave up four in the fifth, and seven total in his return to the majors, and Ramírez gave up a two-out single before he got out No. 3.

Marlins’ righty Tommy Nance took over for Miami in the top of the sixth, with a 7-2 lead, and worked around a leadoff single by Maikel Franco for a scoreless frame.

Ramírez retired the Marlins in order in the bottom of the sixth to keep it a five-run game.

Nance came back out in the top of the seventh, and walked Luis García, then hit Victor Robles, before Lane Thomas drove both of them in with a double to right field, 7-4.

Richard Bleier took over and retired Ehire Adrianza and Juan Soto, but Josh Bell took a two-out walk before Marlins’ manager Don Mattingly went to the bullpen again, for right-hander Anthony Bass, who popped Maikel Franco up for out No. 3.

Jordan Weems gave up a single and a walk, and threw a wild pitch, but stranded both of the runners who reached base in the bottom of the seventh.

Bass worked around a one-out single by Riley Adams in a scoreless top of the eighth.

Paolo Espino retired the Marlins in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Tanner Scott came on to finish up the sweep, and the Marlins’ lefty retired the Nationals in order to end it.

Nats now 21-38