Padres spoil Strasburg's return from DL

Padres spoil Strasburg's return from DL

August 20th, 2017

SAN DIEGO -- 's two-run home run off provided the only offense needed Saturday, as the Padres edged the Nationals, 3-1, at Petco Park.
After 's two-out single in the first, Solarte turned around a 96-mph fastball from Strasburg, who came off the disabled list to make his first start since July 23. Strasburg retired the next 10 Padres and 13 of the next 14, finishing his outing with eight strikeouts and two runs allowed in six innings.
"It was coming out good,'' Strasburg said. "It was just getting the rust off a little bit. Obviously, with two strikes I've got to make a better pitch than that.'' 
• Stras dominates after early homer

Wood outpitched the San Diego native. In his fifth start with San Diego after a late July trade with Kansas City, the left-hander worked seven innings for the first time since April 28, 2015. He allowed one unearned run, the result of his own error on a sacrifice bunt preceding 's two-out double in the fifth. Wood has a 2.00 ERA at Petco Park since joining the Padres.
"They were swinging early, and I was getting some weak contact, and the defense tonight was unbelievable," Wood said. "I didn't have that many strikeouts tonight, and the boys were running it down, making plays. [Austin Hedges] behind the plate was calling a good game, and it was just hitting on all cylinders."
• Wood passes Stras test with solid 7 innings
With Strasburg out of the game, the Padres added a run in the seventh against Washington's bullpen when Hedges grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.
and Brad Hand retired the final six Nationals, combining for five strikeouts.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Wood's rocky first: Before the Padres managed to get to Strasburg early, it appeared the Nationals would do the same with Wood. In the top of the first, fouled off eight pitches to draw a 13-pitch walk with two outs. followed with an eight-pitch free pass, but flied out to right to strand both runners. After that 36-pitch first inning, Wood needed only 65 to get through the next six.
"That was big,'' Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of Wood escaping the jam. "We had the right guys up there, guys that have come through all year. But they can't come through all the time."

Great Yates: Facing the top of the Nationals' lineup, Yates struck out the side in the eighth, freezing Rendon to end the inning. Yates had a 22.09 ERA in his previous five outings coming in, including allowing Zimmerman's game-winning home run Friday.

QUOTABLE
"It felt like 47." -- Padres manager Andy Green, on Rendon's 13-pitch at-bat
"He threw the ball well. You wouldn't even know he had been out. -- Baker, on Strasburg looking sharp after a nearly one-month layoff
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Strasburg's loss Saturday ended his six-start winning streak against the Padres, his hometown team. After losing his first start against San Diego in May 2012, Strasburg went 6-0 with a 2.31 ERA in the next six. Had he won Saturday, Strasburg would've been the first pitcher to win seven straight starts against the Padres since Steve Carlton did so from 1979-82.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
With two outs in the top of the third, Sanchez hit a sharp grounder between Padres third baseman and Solarte at short. Although Spangenberg couldn't snag the ball with a dive, it ricocheted off his glove directly to Solarte, who threw to first narrowly in time to get Sanchez. The 5-6-3 putout was challenged by the Nationals, but the call would stand after review.

WHAT'S NEXT
Nationals: (11-5) gets the nod to cap this four-game series in Sunday's finale at 4:40 p.m ET. The left-hander, coming off a six-inning scoreless stint against the Angels, will be seeking his fourth straight win.
Padres: will try to navigate the Nationals' lineup on Sunday using a fastball-slider combo that has been devastating of late. The rookie right-hander has a 2.37 ERA in his past five starts. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. PT.
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