Strasburg takes home NL's April pitching honor

While all eyes in the nation's capital have been on Bryce Harper lately, the Nationals' other prodigy was putting on a show of his own in April. Following an excellent start to the season, Stephen Strasburg was voted the National League Pitcher of the Month for April.

Strasburg went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and an NL-leading 34 strikeouts over five April starts, walking only six batters in 32 innings. All five of the 23-year-old right-hander's outings were quality starts, and he allowed only four earned runs. This is the first monthly award of Strasburg's career.

"He might be out of innings by the All-Star break if I let him go to what he is capable of going to," Nationals manager Davey Johnson joked after Strasburg -- who is on a limit of 160 innings this season, his first full season following Tommy John surgery -- made his last start. "That's a cloud over me."

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft has posted the second-lowest ERA among qualifying Major League pitchers, and is tied for third with teammate Gio Gonzalez among NL strikeout leaders.

Strasburg's excellent April helped lead a dominant Washington pitching staff, the best in the Majors during the first month of the season. Nationals teammate Jordan Zimmermann (1-1, 1.33 ERA) was among other pitchers receiving votes for the award.