Game 1: Nats at Cubs, April 5, 2012

Stephen Strasburg recorded the first HOV-2 of the season.
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

In their first game of the season, the Nats defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in Chicago to begin the season 1-0.  Tyler Clippard got the win, Carlos Marmol took the loss, and Brad Lidge recorded his first save filling in for the injured Drew Storen.  More importantly, the Nats’ pitching staff began the 2012 season by sending seven Cubs hitters down K Street.

Second Inning: In the bottom of the second inning, Stephen Strasburg introduced the first hitter of the season to K Street when he struck out ex-Nat Marlon Byrd.

Fifth Inning: Strasburg recorded the first HOV-2 of the young season by striking out both Ryan Dempster and David DeJesus.

Sixth Inning: Strasburg got his second HOV-2 of the day after he struck out Starlin Castro and Ian Stewart.

Ninth Inning: Lidge declined to let Strasburg hog all of the K Street glory in the first game of the season and earned his own HOV-2 by striking out Reed Johnson and Byrd en route to the save.

Notables:

• Strasburg earned the first HOV-2 of the season.
• Byrd received the first single-game E-ZPass of the season by striking out twice.
• Strikeouts in the game: 7.
• Strikeouts in the 2012 season: 7.