Washington Nationals News: Stephen Strasburg’s hot streak dates back to last season
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily features stories on Stephen Strasburg’s continued dominance on the mound and the resilience of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos.
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Jamal Collier writes about the continued dominance of Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg. As Collier writes, Strasburg has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year.
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The right-hander is 8-0 on the season with an impressive 2.79 ERA. He picked up his most recent win Tuesday night after a dominant, 11-strikeout performance against the New York Mets.
But, as Collier writes, Strasburg’s dominance didn’t start this year. In fact, Strasburg has been lights out on the mound since late June of last season, when he returned from a stint on the disabled list. Since then, Strasburg boasts a 2.22 ERA. And with his win on Tuesday, the Nationals have now recorded victories in each of Strasburg’s last 14 starts.
Strasburg’s recent success undoubtedly played a role in the team’s decision to give him a 7-year, $175 million contract extension earlier this month. Hopefully for the team, Strasburg will continue to prove his worth this season and in the years to come. So far in 2016, he’s off to a great start.
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s James Wagner discusses Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos’ success this season. As Wagner writes in his article, Ramos has managed to stay focused and productive at the plate this year despite losing his grandfather earlier this year.
Ramos is also in his last season under contract this year and faces the pressure of looming free agency. Despite the distractions, Ramos is having arguably the best season of his career and is one of the most important players in the Nationals’ lineup.
Hopefully for Ramos and the team, the 28-year-old catcher is able to stay healthy and productive throughout the rest of the season.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Sizzling run for Stras dates back to last year
WASHINGTON — As Stephen Strasburg walked off the mound in the seventh inning Tuesday night, the crowd of 33,096 at Nationals Park, which included a strong and vocal contingent of Mets fans, let out a loud roar while giving him a standing ovation. For all the ups and downs throughout Strasburg’s career, perhaps this recent stretch has established him among the best pitchers in baseball.
He improved to 8-0 on the season with a 2.79 ERA after another strong outing, where he gave up only two runs on four hits and struck out 11 in 6 2/3 innings as the Nationals cruised to a 7-4 victory over the Mets. Strasburg and the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta are the only pitchers in the Majors with that many victories without a loss. Read full article here.
Wilson Ramos staying focused despite death of grandfather, looming free agency
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
The passing of his grandfather still weighs on Wilson Ramos’s heart. Jesus Campos taught Ramos how to play baseball. He is on Ramos’s mind every day. Still — in an already important season ahead of free agency — Ramos has been one of the Nationals’ best players.
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For catchers with a minimum of 130 plate appearances, Ramos leads all in average (.339), on-base percentage (.385) and slugging percentage (.512).Coupled with his improved eyesight, Ramos has been a rejuvenated hitter this season. Read full article here.