SAN DIEGO -- Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run home run off Stephen Strasburg in the first inning of the right-hander's first start in almost a month and the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 3-1 Saturday night.
Strasburg (10-4) retired the first two batters he faced before allowing a single to Jose Pirela and then the homer to the switch-hitting Solarte, who drove a 96-mph fastball to right for his 13th.
Strasburg then settled down against his hometown team, retiring 10 straight batters and 13 of 14. He went six innings, allowing two runs and four hits while striking out eight and walking one.
He hadn't pitched since July 23, when he went only two innings at Arizona. He went on the disabled list with an elbow nerve impingement.
Strasburg pitched at West Hills High in suburban Santee and then at San Diego State for coach Tony Gwynn before going to the Nationals with the No. 1 pick overall in the 2009 draft.
While Strasburg pitched well, the Nationals had only three hits.
San Diego's Travis Wood (2-1) also settled down after laboring through the first inning, when he threw 35 pitches but didn't allow a run. He was unscathed until the fifth, when he allowed a one-out single to Jose Lobaton and a two-out double to Adrian Sanchez. The run was unearned because of Woods' throwing error on Strasburg's sacrifice bunt that advanced Lobaton.
Wood allowed just the unearned run on three hits in seven innings, with two strikeouts and two walks.
Brad Hand pitched the ninth for his 11th save.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: Strasburg took the roster spot of RHP Max Scherzer, who went on the DL Friday night, retroactive to Tuesday, with inflammation in his neck.
UP NEXT
Nationals: LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-5, 2.49 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday's series finale. He has won his last three starts and four of his last five.
Padres: Rookie RHP Dinelson Lamet (7-4, 4.78) has earned the win in four of his last five starts since July 23 and is 4-1 in six starts at Petco Park.
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