With Losses, Nats Could Stand to Gain Strasburg

"He has tremendous mechanics. Against the Netherlands [when he allowed one hit and struck out 11 in seven innings], he showed he could spot his fastball right where he wanted it at 94-95. Locate his curveball. And he had a good change-up that day, too."

But the Dutch don't scare anybody. Cuba does. Strasburg was hard on himself, respectful of Cuba, but not overly impressed with a team of big league quality.

"My stuff was [just] okay. I was up in the zone a little. I could have used my change-up a little more," said Strasburg, who shows little emotion on the mound and ended all four of his innings by overpowering hitter, two for strikeouts.

"They're a really good team that will hit a mistake. A lot of their players could be in the big leagues right now," added the pitcher who has gained muscle thanks to his college workout program and has had the pleasure of learning to cope with radically improved stuff.

"They do a good job of taking pitches. They're disciplined. But if I'd executed better, I'd have been all right. The worst pitch I threw all night [a high slider] was hit out of the park," a solo homer by Alfredo Despaigne.

Nobody knows if Strasburg will ever be a Nat. Others can read the standings. Seattle appears to have quit. The Padres just got serious about getting bad, trading Greg Maddux. The path to No. 1 overall is never smooth. But the Nats might have what it takes: the worst offense, adjusted for era, ever.

Of course, being on pace for 105 loses has its pitfalls. As Johnson, who was a Nats consultant two years ago, asked with concern, "Who's going to take the fall?"

Nobody is going to find fault with a U.S. team that might be making its last appearance in the Olympics, with the sport being discontinued after this year. Johnson has taken minor leaguers, plus Strasburg, and gone 5-3 with a chance for a bronze medal in Saturday's game against Japan. Until Cuba scored six runs in the eighth, even the United States' losses had been close -- in the bottom of the ninth and the 11th inning.

"We can compete on the world stage anytime. We've more than held out own here and we've beaten Cuba the last two times we've played 'em" in other events, Johnson said. "But major league baseball is a very big business, and sometimes players we could use are called up [to the majors] or not allowed to come."

In other words, as soon as somebody gets hot in the minors, Davey can't have him for the Olympics anymore.

Getting Strasburg, the only college player chosen for the Olympic team, was the squad's one lucky break.

Last week, Cuba got Johnson riled when Jason Nix, a Colorado Rockies farmhand, while attempting to bunt, fouled off a knockdown pitch. Nix suffered a mild concussion. Johnson and Cuba Manager Antonio Pacheco had a little fuss.