Television ratings for Tuesday night's Washington Nationals- Pittsburgh Pirates game, which featured the debut of pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, set a record for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, according to preliminary ratings released by Nielsen.

More than 165,000 households in the Washington area watched the game, according to a MASN news release. The network earned a 7.1 rating, and among the 25-54 age demographic, the game earned a 4.4 rating, which is also a record for MASN.

"For a Tuesday night in June against the Pirates, these ratings are simply stunning," MASN spokesman Todd Webster said.

Strasburg, who was the top draft pick in 2009, struck out 14 in seven innings, allowing only two runs and four hits.