Washington Nationals Rapid Reaction: Bryce Harper continues to lead Nats to greatness

May 17, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) pitches during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

TRADE STEPHEN STRA—wait, never mind, he’s pretty good too…

While Harper had a huge game, perhaps the best thing that happened to the Nationals yesterday was that Stephen Strasburg overcame his recent struggles and actually pitched a solid game.

Strasburg, of course, had struggled mightily in his last few starts. He battled injuries and gave up a combined nine earned runs over his previous two starts, which amounted to only 6 1/3 innings of work.

His recent starts were beyond discouraging for the Nationals and their fans and led many to believe that the right-hander was injured and that he may be headed for a stint on the disabled list, or even a trade. Yesterday, however, Strasburg bounced back and showed flashes of the pitcher he can be when he’s on his game.

Strasburg pitched well, overcoming some early hiccups to throw five solid innings in which he allowed three runs on five hits while striking out seven. He was by no means stellar, but he looked much better than he has in previous starts and that is incredibly encouraging news for the Nationals.

Next: Danny Espinosa continues to do his part...