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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014
PAGE 9
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MLB
Strasburg goes into 8th, Nats top Dodgers 3-2
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — By the time Stephen Strasburg reached back and threw a 96 mph fastball for a strikeout to end the top of the seventh with his 106th pitch, his usual first-inning struggles seemed long ago — and his day seemed over.
When the next inning rolled around Wednesday, though. Nationals manager Matt Williams sent Strasburg to the mound to face the top of the Dodgers' order in what would become a 3-2 victory for Washington, the first time this season the No.1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft pitched into the eighth.
"He's our horse," Williams said, indicating he'd like to keep his ace in deep into games more often.
"We don't want to do that every time," Williams added. "But in a game like today, he's got the lead and (you) want to show confidence in him that we're willing to send him back out there to protect that lead"
Said Strasburg, who improved to 3-2 with a 3.42 ERA: "That's the position I want to be in."
After waiting through a rain delay of more than $1 \frac{1}{2}$ hours to throw his first pitch, the righty did what he's done all season: labored to get the first three outs, then been fairly dominant. This time, he gave up four consecutive singles, including run-scoring hits by Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig, during a 28-pitch first as Los Angeles went ahead 2-0.
(Strasburg's) as good as anybody on any given day. We've also seen that anybody can get beat on any given day."
MATT WILLIAMS Nationals manager
and give your guys a chance to get back into the ballgame or get the lead"
"I've been trying not to go out there and give up a crooked number early," Strasburg said. "But you can give up one or two early and just keep it close
He's allowed eight earned runs in his eight first innings in 2014, a 9.00 ERA.
From the second inning on, it's 2.29.
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) throw against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 7, 2014 in Washington. Nationals won 3-2.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"He's as good as anybody on any given day. We've also seen that anybody can get beat on any given day," Williams said. "We want to get him to that point where he can finish that eighth inning, too. That's important for him."
In all, Strasburg allowed two runs and seven hits — all singles — in 7 1-3 innings. He faced the minimum three batters in each of the second through fifth innings, and threw a total of 114 pitches.
In the sixth, he put two men on, but got Andre Ethier on a grounder for the third out. In the eighth, Strasburg also put two on, then was replaced by lefty Jerry Blevins, who got Gonzalez to pop out in foul territory.
who missed the two previous games after crashing into an outfield fence. Rafael Soriano threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.
Right-hander Tyler Clippard then came in to retire Puig,
Adam LaRoche's two-run single off the top of the wall in right off Dan Haren (4-1), who was with the Nationals in 2013, tied the game in the bottom of
the first. Washington edged ahead on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth from Wilson Ramos, playing his first game since opening day.
MLB
Arroyo helps lift Diamondbacks over Brewers 3-2
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MILWAUKEE — Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer for the second straight game to back Bronson Arroyo and lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Wednesday.
Goldschmidt hit an 0-1 pitch for his seventh homer of the year after Martin Prado led off the third with a single.
Goldschmidt went 7 for 15 in a three-game-series.
Arizona took two of three from the team that entered Wednesday an NL-best 22-12.
Arroyo (3-2) allowed an unearned run and five hits in 71-3 innings, his third straight outing holding an opponent to no more than two runs. Addison Reed got his 10th save in 11 chances despite giving up a run in the ninth.
hits, tying his career high, and two runs in six innings. Peralta managed to escape trouble all afternoon — except when Goldschmidt came to the plate in the third.
The 6-foot-3 first baseman loves hitting in Miller Park, where he has four homers and 12 RBIs in eight career games. His drive to left-center caromed back on to the field after bouncing off the facade above the wall about 370 feet
from the plate.
Milwaukee closed within a run in the ninth after Scooter Gennett doubled down the left-field line and scored on Lyle Overbay's sacrifice fly. Reed struck out Mark Reynolds swinging on a high fastball to end the game.
Arizona stranded 13 runners, including leaving
men at third three times through the seventh. But the right-hander, in his 15th year in the majors, kept the free-swinging Brewers at bay well into the afternoon, making Jonathan Lucroy flail on an 86 mph sinker to start the seventh with a strikeout. He ended the inning by striking out Reynolds on a slider.
After Milwaukee put two on with one out in the eighth, pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks lined a single off Brad Ziegler that loaded the bases for Carlos Gomez — who hit the next pitch into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play that elicited groans from hometown fans.