Stephen Strasburg Cuts The Losing Streak, Strikeouts Out 13

Stephen Strasburg put the team on his back last night, pitching them to their first win in three games, and their first road win since April 25. The Nats' ace recorded 13 strikeouts on the night, giving the club an opportunity to claim the 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  What made Strasburg's start all-the-more impressive is that he didn't seem to have his best overall stuff last night. While his fastball may have been the best we've seen it since he underwent Tommy John surgery two years ago (induced 9 swinging strikes), he had trouble spotting his curveball on two strike counts, and his changeup was inconsistent. This meant that he earned a strikeout in 13 out of 18 outs recorded by simply challenging and beating hitters with the heater.  The 24-year-old now has 27 strikeouts in 13 career innings pitched against the Pirates.  Some Thoughts: - The Nats won just won game this series, but all three contests were close. Credit that fact to the return of first...