By GENARO C. ARMAS
updated 5:17 a.m. ET Sept. 2, 2011
HARRISBURG, Pa. - His red socks pulled up high over his calves and a gold chain dangling off his neck, Stephen Strasburg pushed off the mound and unleashed a 99 mph fastball.
Yeah, Strasburg sure looks as if he's ready to return to the big leagues.
Strasburg allowed one hit and struck out four over six shutout innings Thursday night for Double-A Harrisburg in what was expected to be his final minor league rehab start before he returns to the Washington Nationals. The No. 1 pick from the 2009 draft got the win after the Senators routed the Portland Sea Dogs, 10-0.
Strasburg threw 70 pitches, 53 for strikes, in his sixth rehab appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow last September.
Consistently working ahead in the count, Strasburg said he felt he was getting better command on his curveball.
"I'm getting the movement and stuff I've had before. I think it's a little more consistent than it was. It's all about building arm strength," Strasburg said. "Everything feels great, and I'm ready to go out there and battle for the Nationals."
Nationals manager Davey Johnson has said Strasburg is scheduled to make his first 2011 start in the big leagues next Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"It's going to be nice to have Steve back," Johnson said after the Nationals lost to the Braves 5-2 in Atlanta on Thursday night. "We've missed him."
Dan Butler had the only hit off Strasburg, a leadoff double to left in the sixth. The right-hander helped himself with his glove on the next play, fielding a comebacker and catching Butler wandering too far off second to start a rundown for an out.
Johnson will have an in-depth account of Strasburg's latest outing from a trusted source ? Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez caught the pitcher in Harrisburg. Rodriguez is rehabbing from a right oblique strain which has sidelined him since early July.
The Washington skipper expects to see both Rodriguez and Strasburg in D.C. on Friday.
Strasburg's velocity did dip into the low-to-mid 90s in the sixth, though Rodriguez didn't seem to think it was much of a problem.
"Two mph less? Still throwing 94, 95," Rodriguez asked rhetorically. "Looks to be fine."
Strasburg had fans buzzing last season after striking out 14 in his much-anticipated major league debut against Pittsburgh. He went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings as a rookie.
Several Portland hitters did make solid contact off Strasburg, though right at the defense. Oscar Tejeda had one of the hardest-hit shots with an opposite-field fly to the right field warning track caught by Leonard Davis in the fourth.
Fans gave polite applause after Butler hustled into second for a double off Strasburg, then cheered louder after the pitcher fielded Mitch Dening's hard bouncer up the middle and caught Butler between second and third.
"I'm still learning a lot out there, learning how to have the right routine to feel refreshed every fifth day," Strasburg said. "I think I'm starting to realize I don't need to dial it up every time to get guys out."
Tim Pahuta hit a three-run homer in the third before Stephen King added a grand slam in the fifth for Harrisburg.
Strasburg's start aside, it's already been a memorable week in Harrisburg, where the Senators clinched a playoff berth with a 2-1 win Wednesday night over the Sea Dogs. The win Thursday wrapped up first place in the Eastern League's Western Division.
Regardless, Strasburg was the star of Thursday night's game.
"I couldn't believe he gave up a hit," Harrisburg pitching coach Randy Tomlin joked. "No, he threw well. The game doesn't matter. It's about him getting ready to get back to the big leagues and staying healthy."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44366506/ns/sports-baseball/
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