Stephen Strasburg Dazzles Hagerstown Faithful in First Rehab Start

Hagerstown, MD-The Hagerstown Suns (62-50, 22-20) and the Greensboro Grasshoppers (59-54, 19-24) shared a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Municipal Stadium in front of the second largest crowd, 6,758 fans, in the history of the majestic home ballpark of the Suns. Hagerstown lost the first contest 7-5 and took the nightcap 6-5 in walk-off fashion. Washington Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg, the number one overall draft pick in the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft, made his first rehabilitation start after undergoing Tommy John Surgery on September 3, 2010. Strasburg went (5-3) with a 2.91 ERA through 12 starts in his rookie campaign, striking out 92 batters and walking just 17 in 68.0 innings. Strasburg's full arsenal was on display including his mid 90s fastball, a devastating slurvy breaking ball, an agile sinker, and his trademark two-seam changeup.

Strasburg, 23, made his triumphant revival to the professional ranks in a non-simulated game amidst a throng of media members, thousands adoring fans, and a prideful Class A host in the mountains of Maryland. The man who took the baseball world by storm just a season ago returned to the mound after nearly a year-long recovery. After pregame rain showers softened the field, the in-game storm took hold as the tall, muscular Strasburg climbed the hill filled with adrenaline. Stephen Strasburg, meet Hagerstown...

Municipal Stadium exploded upon Strasburg's first set of pitches to 2B Noah Perio in the 1st inning. Strasburg struck out Perio on a check swing through a breaking ball under the hands of the leadoff hitter. Then, Strasburg sizzled an elevated heater through RF Marcell Ozuna. LF Christian Yelich knocked a seeing-eye single through the right side of the infield before 1B Mark Canha punched a hard grounder to the glove-side right of 1B Brett Newsome who made a nice sliding grab and then darted to the bag for the final out.

In the 2nd stanza, Strasburg caught DH Wilfredo Gimenez looking on an inside sinker. Then C Jacob Realmuto guessed right on a high fastball and drilled it into the visiting bullpen for a solo home run, the only real blemish on Strasburg's card. The former perennial MLB prospect then surrendered a single to center field off the stick of SS Daniel Black. 3B Ryan Fisher swung threw a changeup for the second out which preceded Strasburg's exit from the game.

Strasburg, the former San Diego St. phenom, threw 31 pitches, 25 for strikes, while striking out four in 1.2 innings, allowing just the one earned run on three hits.

After Strasburg left the mound, the Suns tallied five runs in the 2nd inning on an RBI single to center field by 3B Sean Nicol, SS Blake Kelso drew a bases loaded RBI walk, and 2B Adrian Sanchez roped a bases clearing, three-RBI double to center field off RHP Alex Caldera.

However, the losing pitcher, Suns RHP Wilson Eusebio (0-7), gave up two earned runs in the 7th inning on a pinch-hit two-run home run by DH Aaron Dudley after RHP A.J. Cole gave up four earned runs in 4.0 innings.

Greensboro's winning pitcher, LHP Grant Dayton (7-0) tossed two scoreless innings and allowed two hits but no strikeouts.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Suns struck for three runs off LHP Greg Nappo in the 2nd inning when C Adrian Nieto cranked an RBI double to center field scoring SS Jason Martinson's base-on-balls. Then, 1B Sean Nicol pulled a two-run home run over the left field barrier, his second four-bagger of the season.

The Grasshoppers countered with three runs in the 3rd frame on an RBI single to left field by Ozuna, a run-scoring grounder up the middle by Yelich, and an opposite field single to right field by Canha.

Both clubs scored in the 4th frame when Realmuto lifted his second home run of the day over the center field wall for Greensboro and Martinson crushed a solo shot over the scoreboard in left field to tie the game at 4-4.

An RBI triple to the left field barrier by RF Michael Taylor scored LF Wade Moore's leadoff walk in the 5th inning to give the Suns a one run lead.

Greensboro hopped back to tie the game again in the 7th stanza on a busted RBI single by 2B Joe Bonadonna into shallow right center field after Fisher yanked a mile-high popup lost in the lights by Taylor in right field that went to the wall for a triple.

Hagerstown LHP Matt Grace, who did not receive a decision, went 6.1 innings and allowed five earned runs on ten hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

The winning pitcher, Suns RHP Shane McCatty (2-3), went 0.2 and struck out one.

The Suns walked off in the bottom of the 7th inning with 3B Justino Cuevas at second base after a double to the wall in left, before Taylor ripped an RBI single to left center field to summon home the winning run.

The losing pitcher, RHP Miguel Mejia (0-1), went 1.1 innings and allowed the winning tally on three hits.

Hagerstown will host Greensboro for the game four finale on Monday evening, a 7:05pm first pitch. Wall-to-wall radio broadcast coverage will begin with a 6:50pm Break Away 2 Sports Lounge Pre-game Show on WJEJ AM 1240. The pitching matchup is to be determined.

The Hagerstown Suns play at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, MD and are a Class "A" affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Season ticket packages, group outings, and corporate sponsorships are available by calling the Suns at 301-791-6266. Visit the Suns on the web at www.hagerstownsuns.com. The Suns are owned by Hagerstown Baseball, LLC.

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