Stephen Strasburg Ks 10 As Nationals Beat Braves 4-1

Washington Nationals star right-hander Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 hitters and allowed just one run in six innings Tuesday night as his team defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-1.

During the game, Strasburg, who is pitching his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2010, gave up just four hits and only walked one batter, as Washington increased its lead in the NL East to seven games (their largest of the season) over second-place Atlanta.

Following the victory, Strasburg’s 15th win of the season, the 24-year-old has now thrown 145 1/3 innings this season, nearly 22 more than he’s put up in either of his two prior professional seasons.

While the Nats have not revealed what the exact ceiling will be for Strasburg, they’ve hinted in the past that it’s to be somewhere between 160 and 180 innings — meaning he probably has two to four starts remaining in the tank before his season comes to an end.

“It’s funny. Nobody talks to me personally about it,” Strasburg told ESPN, when asked about his innings-pitched count. “Obviously, I can either scour the Internet or watch all the stuff being said on TV or I can just keep pitching and watch the Golf Channel, I guess.”

On the season, Stephen Strasburg is holding down 15-5 record (in 25 starts) with a 2.85 ERA and a NL-leading 183 strikeouts.

He’s likely to make his next start next Tuesday against the Marlins in Miami.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson breaks down Stephen Strasburg’s performance during Washington’s 4-1 win over the Braves in the video below: