The Nationals entered a pivotal four-game series in Atlanta Thursday badly in need of a victory to gain ground in the NL East.
What they didn't know is they were about to get a three-for-three, five-RBI performance from the most unlikely suspect.
The Braves, who brought a 6.5-game NL East lead over the Nats into the series, struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The Nats would erupt in the third, with starter Stephen Strasburg helping his own cause better than any Washington pitcher ever has.
Strasburg led off the inning with a single off of right-handed Atlanta starter Kyle Wright (right-on-right crime!).
Adam Eaton tripled two batters later, and, wouldn't you know, Strasburg found some wheels and booked it from first to home, scoring the game-tying run to make it 1-1.
Come for Adam Eaton's RBI triple......stay for Stephen Strasburg's 24.9 ft/sec. sprint speed.#Strasmas // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/VvbS4hmSdT
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 19, 2019The Nats strung together four more runs on an Anthony Rendon double, three walks — the latter walking in a run — a Wild Pitch and a ground-rule double from Victor Robles, who drove in two to give Washington a 5-1 lead.
With two outs, desperate to get out of the inning, Braves manager Brian Snitker called for right-hander Touki Toussaint from the bullpen to face Strasburg.
The move backfired, as Strasburg, in his second plate appearance of the inning, drilled a 1-0 fastball deep into the left field seats — 420 feet, to be exact — for a three-run bomb and an 8-1 lead. It was Strasburg's fourth career home run and his first since Aug. 30, 2017.
Stephen Strasburg's 4th career HR traveled 420 feet.#BanTheDH // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/aSUCZux5FB
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 19, 2019Strasburg's hitting line in the third: 2-for-2 with a single, a home run and three RBI.
#SweetFancyMoses Stephen Strasburg 3-run homer off Touki Toussaint. Nats lead 8-1 and now Strasburg has to go through the dugout dance line!
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 19, 2019Stephen Strasbieg just went deep. 3 run jack to bust the game open. One of the moments of the year. That was incredible. #Nats
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 19, 2019Holy #@%^, Stephen Strasburg #nats
— Josh Luckenbaugh (@JLuck42) July 19, 2019THAT WAS AWESOME!!!
— F.P. Santangelo (@FightinHydrant) July 19, 2019And he danced!
--STEPHEN STRASBURG DANCING KLAXON-- pic.twitter.com/WYTvOO6Y1I
— Blake Finney (@FinneyBlake) July 19, 2019--Vamos pa' la playa, pa’ curarte el almaCierra la pantalla, abre la MedallaTodo el mar Caribe, viendo tu cinturaTú le coqueteas, tú eres busca bullas y me gusta ------pic.twitter.com/W1jKSSJzSp
— Danny (@recordsANDradio) July 19, 2019SunTrust Park? More like Strasburg Park ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/pLP2cRIGmq
— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) July 19, 2019Stephen Strasburg, Dance (Juicy J remix) pic.twitter.com/0TGs5qmhKi
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 19, 2019Stpehen Strasburg dancing in the dugout is the funniest thing I have ever seen. He broke character! #Nats
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 19, 2019Parra got Strasburg to dance. Remarkable.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 19, 2019Oh my. My new favorite moment of the 2019 season.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) July 19, 2019Nats Twitter watching Stephen Strasburg dancing in the dugout. pic.twitter.com/uRswTO7WGC
— The D.C. Universe (@dcuniverse) July 19, 2019Strasburg belts a 3-Run HR.....I repeat.....STRASBURG BELTS A 3-RUN HR. #Nats unload in the 3rd inning. Score 8 runs. Strasburg had 2 hits in the inning.
— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) July 19, 2019----------------STEPHEN STRASBURG HR ALERT----------------#Strasmas // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/BFP5fENaSx
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 19, 2019Stephen Strasburg in the third: 2-for-2, single, HR, two runs scored and three RBI.How about that?
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) July 19, 2019#SuperStras my how this game has turned around.
— Pete Medhurst (@PeteMedhurst) July 19, 2019We found your new desktop background.#Strasmas // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/TpLiLcbEJT
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 19, 2019Strasburg is the first Nationals pitcher to homer since A.J. Cole, whose solo shot on April 3, 2018 also, coincidentally, came at SunTrust Park in Atlanta.
But Strasburg wasn't done. He singled again in the fifth, driving in two Nationals runs for a 10-1 lead to bring his RBI count to five on the day.
lol Stephen Strasburg is 3-for-3 with a HR and 5 RBIs and we don't have a graphic prepped for that¯\_(ツ)_/¯TOP 5 // #Nats 10, Braves 1
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 19, 2019Pitchers to have a game with at least 3 hits, a HR, and 5 RBI since the DH debuted in 1973:- Micah Owings (ARI), 8/8/17- Stephen Strasburg (WSH), 7/18/19That is the entire list, and oddly, both games have been at ATL.
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) July 19, 2019Strasburg was lifted from the game after allowing two runs on a walk, a triple and a single in the bottom of the sixth, leaving with a comfortable 10-3 lead.
The Nats would tack on three more and hold on to win, 13-4, to pull within 5.5 games of the Braves in the NL East.
Follow @ChrisLingebach and @1067TheFan
