Touch 'Em All: Nats' Strasburg wins 'at home'

Stephen Strasburg had quite a homecoming in San Diego on Thursday night.

Pitching in front of about 50 family members and friends, Strasburg lasted a career-high eight innings in the Nationals' 6-2 win over his hometown Padres. Even better, the righthander snapped a seven-start winless streak and improve to 2-5.

Strasburg said making his first appearance at Petco Park as a professional was not a biggie.

"It's easy pitching in front of a lot of loved ones," said Strasburg, who went to high school in nearby Santee and pitched at San Diego State. "It's just another place to me, to be honest."

Then he got humble.

"I heard a lot of 'Welcome home' and a lot of 'Go Aztecs' out there. It's great. I'm just glad they remembered me."

Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who experienced severe spasms Thursday vs. Seattle, was put on the 15-day DL because of a strained left trapezius muscle in his upper back. The lefty became the Yankees' 13th player to go on the DL - a crew that's getting paid a combined $97 million - this year.

The Athletics said opening-day starter Brett Anderson has a stress fracture in his right foot that will require more time on the disabled list. The lefthander (1-4 with a 6.21 ERA) underwent CT and bone scans on Thursday and will be reexamined in four weeks.

Braves rightfielder Jason Heyward, who had been on the DL since undergoing an appendectomy on April 22, was activated Friday, and started vs. the Dodgers.

Timing is everything for a hitter, even when a hitter doesn't make contact.

Out in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday night, infielder Jeff Keppinger, who had made 141 plate appearances this season without drawing a walk, walked - with the bases loaded in the eighth inning - to drive in the go-ahead run in the White Sox's 5-4 win over Angels.

"It was a good time to get one," Keppinger said. "We're sitting at the bottom of the division so any win we can get now moves us up."

- Wire reports