Strasburg closes in on season limit, tops Giants 6-4
SAN FRANCISCO -- Steven Strasburg pitched six innings, allowed four hits, two runs, and struck out seven for the Washington Nationals in a 6-4 victory and a series win over the San Francisco Giants.
It was the first game and first loss for the Giants without star outfielder Melky Cabrera, who was suspended earlier in the day by Major League Baseball officials for 50 days without pay for testing positive for testosterone.
Cabrera was originally in the Giants starting lineup, due to bat third. But after news of his suspension broke, the revised lineup had Pablo Sandoval batting third and Gregor Blanco in left field batting seventh. Whether that will become a permanent change in light of Cabrera's suspension remains to be seen.
"My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used,'' Cabrera said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association. "I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down."
Teammate Pablo Sandoval said, "We are a team. We're trying to make the playoffs. We're going to fight."
Added catcher Buster Posey, "Ultimately, it was just a bad decision."
Jayson Werth had two hits and three RBI and Danny Espinosa added a two-run homer for the Nationals who completed a 10-game road trip with a record of 8-2.
Giants losing pitcher Tim Lincecum continues to struggle through a mediocre season. Lincecum (6-13) allowed eight hits and four runs in four innings.
In the first, the Nationals' Steve Lombardozzi singled to right. With two outs, Adam LaRoche reached on an infield single to second base. Michael Morse walked to load the bases. Jayson Werth singled to left, scoring Lombardozzi and LaRoche to make it a 2-0 Nationals lead.
The Giants rallied back to tie the game in the second inning. Buster Posey and Hunter Pence both walked. Brandon Belt singled to load the bases. With one out, Brandon Crawford singled to right scoring both runners.
But the Nationals took control the rest of the game. Espinoza crushed a Lincecum pitch to deep right center in the third inning for his 13th home run and second of the series.
Werth added an RBI single in the fifth. In the seventh, Werth walked and Espinoza doubled to right. Kurt Suzuki drove in Werth with a sacrifice fly.
Suzuki, who was traded to the Nationals from the A's less than two weeks ago, is especially glad he has Strasburg on his side, rather than facing him as an opponent.
"He pitches," Suzuki said of Strasburg. "Guys talk about his power stuff but he knows what he's doing out there. He's got all the hype around him. Being on the outside looking in, you always wonder. Being in a different league, and now to be catching him, you see what it's all about."
San Francisco managed to score a run in the eighth. Pablo Sandoval singled to center and Posey doubled to right. With two outs, Gregor Blanco beat out an infield single to first scoring Sandoval.
The Giants made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Pinch hitter Hector Sanchez singled to right with two outs. Pablo Sandoval popped out to first but Adam LaRoche could not find the ball and it fell in for an error. Sanchez had advanced to second on defensive indifference and scored on the play. But Posey struck out swinging to end the game.
Strasburg has pitched 139.1 innings this season. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has said the team will shut down Strasburg sometime in September once he is between 160-180 innings.
''It's out of my control," Strasburg said. "I'm just doing everything I can to help this team win games, and it's all going to take care of itself in the end."
NOTES: The Nationals have the best road winning percentage in the Majors with a record of 41-23 (.640). ... Lincecum failed to pitch at least five innings for the sixth time this season. ... The Giants are 8-17 in Lincecum's starts this season.
