Stephen Strasburg's Hitless Return Shows He's Ready for Big 2nd Half

The Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning Sunday before getting the hook with two outs and 109 pitches under his belt.

So the right-hander didn't make history in his team's 12-1 shellacking of the Cincinnati Reds. But he did ease a lot of nerves in the nation's capital.

First, let's get this out of the way: The decision to pull Strasburg was a no-brainer, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post elucidated:

Manager Dusty Baker has drawn criticism in the past for overworking young pitchers. In this case, he took no chances with Strasburg, who was making his first start since landing on the disabled list with an upper back strain.

That's what this game was about: getting Strasburg back in action and watching him pitch like the ace he's been all season.

Mission accomplished.

"You've got to weigh the future with the present," Baker said afterward, per Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com. "You just think we're going to need him." 

With his 6.2 hitless, scoreless frames, Strasburg lowered his ERA to 2.71. He ranks among the top 10 in the game in strikeouts (123) and opponents' batting average (.208). And his 11-0 record puts him in rarefied historical air, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Speaking of Max Scherzer, Strasburg's rotation mate is having a stellar campaign of his own, with a 9-5 record, 3.30 ERA and MLB-leading 148 strikeouts.

When Strasburg went down, however, there was cause for stomach-churning consternation in D.C. unrelated to presidential politics. 

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Yes, at 50-33, the Nationals sit in first place, as they have for much of the year. But with the defending National League champion New York Mets (44-37) and scrappy Miami Marlins (42-39) lurking, losing Strasburg for any significant stretch would have been a debilitating blow. 

Counting Sunday's gem, the Nats are 14-1 in Strasburg's starts. Without that dominance, the standings would undoubtedly look different out East.

"It was awesome to see him come off the DL and see him throw like that," said shortstop Danny Espinosa, who drove in six runs Sunday, per Janes. "He's a huge part of this team and a huge part of a reason why we win."

Yes, rookie Lucas Giolito softened the blow of Strasburg's injury, twirling four scoreless innings in a promising, rain-shortened debut on June 28. 

But the Nationals placed right-hander Joe Ross on the disabled list Sunday with right shoulder inflammation, per MLB.com's Bill Ladson. 

So even if Giolito stays up, which seems likely, there would have been a hole in Washington's rotation.

Instead, it got one of the top pitchers in baseball back on the bump. 

Strasburg's career has been partly defined by injuries, from his 2010 Tommy John surgery to upper back issues that sidelined him last season. One excellent outing won't erase all concern. Nats fans will still hold their collective breath every time the 27-year-old stud winces.  

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

But if Strasburg looks similarly strong in his next outing—which will likely come in the middle of Washington's pivotal July 7-10 series against the Mets—he'll roll into the All-Star break with the doubters choking on his dust.

Last year, Strasburg was transcendent in the second half, posting a 1.90 ERA with an eye-popping 92 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. 

If he can approximate that output, it'll help push Washington over the postseason finish line and erase the memory of the club's acrimonious 2015 flameout.

Strasburg has made just one career playoff start, a loss to the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 division series. With his team sitting five games up on New York entering play Monday, he's got a real chance to bolster that October resume and maybe even carry the Nats to the first championship in franchise history.

A no-hitter Sunday would have been cool; no argument there. But a few more months of healthy, superlative Strasburg could lead to something much cooler.

All statistics current as of July 3 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.