WASHINGTON -- The Nationals invested heavily in the top of their rotation, dishing out contracts worth more than half a billion dollars to the trio of
\n\nCorbin had been a part of some strong rotations in Arizona, pitching alongside Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray, but this Nationals staff is operating on an even higher level.\n\nOn Saturday night, it was Strasburg who carved up the Marlins for eight shutout innings of two-hit ball, matching a season high with 14 strikeouts. It was Corbin’s turn on Sunday. He retired the first 12 batters, carrying a perfect game into the fifth inning before Starlin Castro began the frame with a solo homer. Corbin finished the outing with eight strikeouts in six innings of three-run ball.\n\n“You don’t want to be that weak link,” Corbin said. “Every fifth day if they're losing your game, you don’t want that, so you try to go up there and one-up the person before you.”\n\n“I think the good thing here is everyone is trying to help each other and give information when they need to and when you come out. I mean, we're always talking, so I think those things help. Especially for me not being in this division, I faced these teams, but they've seen them more than I have. So you can learn from all these guys. It's fun to be a part of a veteran group that's done so well.”
\n\nThere are 4 NL pitchers with 200+ strikeouts.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 1, 2019
3 of them are Washington Nationals.
P.S. Patrick Corbin has a 2.32 ERA in his last 14 starts.#PattyIce❄️ // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/l6EsaTy6Ei
\n\nJust four pitchers in the National League have reached 200 strikeouts as of Sunday afternoon, and three of them are Nationals. Strasburg, Corbin and Scherzer have a stronghold on the leaderboard, ranking first, third and fourth in the NL, respectively, in strikeouts. (The Mets' Jacob deGrom is second).\n\nThat group of aces, which does not include Anibal Sanchez (who is having a fine season in his own right), is one of the biggest reasons these Nationals could be so dangerous in the postseason.\n\nWashington has three pitchers capable of dominating and taking over a game on any given night.\n\n“You have to throw innings to strike 200 people out,” said first baseman