Add a few more firsts for Stephen Strasburg: First pitcher to strikeout 41 in his first four starts, first game against the Royals, first Major League hit -- and first loss.
The hard-throwing righty struck out nine and allowed one run over six innings in his fourth start, but the Washington Nationals were punchless again on offense in a 1-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
On the last better he faced,
On his last pitch Strasburg (2-1) froze Scott Podsednik with an 83 mph curveball, breaking a record held by Herb Score, who fanned 40 in his first four major league starts for Cleveland in 1955.
A stunning 75 of Strasburg's 95 pitches were strikes, and His ERA dropped to 1.78.
Strasburg already held the record for most strikeouts over his first three starts with 32. Strasburg also left his third start down 1-0, but the Nats were able to tie it up before losing in extra innings.
No such luck Wednesday afternoon.
Sports
Strasburg did not walk a batter through six innings. He did, however, allow a career-high nine hits and left after the sixth with Kansas City ahead 1-0.
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