Stephen Strasburg returned to Washington's rotation with a bang Saturday night, striking out 12 in seven innings and contributing three hits as the Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 6-1. The right-hander had been on the disabled list since a left oblique strain forced him out after 3 2-3 innings against the San Francisco Giants on July 4. The victory let the Nationals (57-52) move within 1 1-2 games of the Mets in the NL East as New York's seven-game winning streak ended Saturday night at Tampa Bay.