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Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER Stephen Strasburg faces Justin Maxwell in a simulated game this afternoon. |
PHOENIX -- Stephen Strasburg is about to start pitching a simulated game at Chase Field. Nice of the Diamondbacks to leave the roof open. The current temperature: 106 degrees.
Three batters will dig in against the rookie right-hander: Justin Maxwell, Adam Kennedy and Willie Harris. (Guess Willie was forced into doing it, because last night when I asked if he was going to face Strasburg, he responded: "I'm not showing up for that. I'm trying to get out of a slump, not in one!")
I'll have some updates and photos in a little bit...
4:50 p.m. -- The first "inning" is complete, and Strasburg looked perfectly fine out there. Turns out only Maxwell and Harris are facing him, not Kennedy. Strasburg faced each batter twice. He "struck out" Maxwell, who swung and missed twice in his first at-bat. He then "walked" Harris and plunked Maxwell with an inside breaking ball. Harris finished out the frame by lofting a check-swing base hit to shallow right-center. He immediately shouted out, "Yeah!" and raised his left arm in triumph. He and Maxwell then did a little dance. Strasburg went back to the dugout and is taking a short between-innings break at the moment.
5:07 p.m. -- Inning number two is complete, and it appears that will be it. Strasburg faced five more "batters." He struck out Harris looking at a curveball, then struck out Maxwell swinging. Justin did come back to line a base hit to left field his next time up. So Strasburg faced a total of nine "batters," and allowed two "hits." Probably threw about 40-45 pitches. Didn't appear to have any issues whatsoever. I would imagine we'll find out shortly that he's good to go Tuesday against the Marlins.
I'll have a full story on CSNwashington.com later on.
11 comments:
Willie Harris may get quote of the year!
How is Strasburg supposed to know if he has his stuff back facing Kennedy, Harris and Maxwell?
The must have made him pitch lefty against Harris.
Seem dangerous to be standing *in front of* the the BP L-screen.
I think the key is no pain, the "stuff" is still going to be there. And like Willie said, he doesn't want to get into a slump. But we don't care about that. We don't want Zim or Dunn going into a slump, so they don't have to face Strasburg.
Haha, he plunked Maxwell, "Welcome back from Syracuse, kid. Here's 100 mph in the ribs!"
It can't be a simulated game unless Riggs takes out Jesus, double-switches Bernie for Maxwell, and moves Kennedy to first base.
Sunshine gets an A+.
Thanks, joemktg, and I appreciate grading on the curve!
Willie Harris isn't getting quote of the year after the Miss Iowa incident!
Batista wins quote of the year hands down.
splash city, if he's throwing 100mph breaking balls, the rest of baseball is in some serious trouble.
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