As I'm sure most of you have heard, Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut against the Pirates next Tuesday. Actually, you may have heard it well before the official announcement--there have been rumblings for the past several weeks about Strasburg debuting during the Nats' series against the Pirates. Coincidentally, Strasburg also made his minor league debut against a team from the Pirates organization. That was in Altoona a couple months ago, and we saw what that was like. Expect a media circus. I'd also expect Strasburg, who has positively filthy stuff and who has had no real trouble in the minor leagues, to pitch pretty well against one of the majors' worst offenses. (Which doesn't, of course, preclude the Pirates from shutting down the Nats, picking up a couple of ridiculous clutch hits after Strasburg has left the game, and winning by one run. They seem to do it all the time.)
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