Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmerman
courtesy of afagen
If you’re looking for consistency then look no further than RHP Jordan Zimmermann. The Nationals’ third starter in the rotation secured his seventh victory of the season Wednesday night with a 4-3 Washington win against New York, pushing him to a winning record of 7-6 thus far. This is the first time Zimmermann’s had a winning record since his 2009 rookie season.
His biggest struggle of the season is one that’s been out of his hands though. Run support behind his pitching is bellow average when compared to the rest of the rotation. The Nats average 3.95 runs with Zimmermann on the mound and 4.16 runs a game. Zimmermann was 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA against the Mets in nine career starting appearances before last night and has worked at least 6.0 innings in all 19 starts this season.
What started as a slow offensive game turned into a back-to-back inning rally for the Nats in the sixth and seventh. Mets RHP Chris Young held the Nats to just six hits and two runs in six innings of work. It took Washington a little time to figure him out and find opportunities to pounce but a two-out, two-run homer off the bat of first baseman Adam LaRoche in the sixth followed by a two-out, two-run RBI double hit by second baseman Steve Lombardozzi secured all the runs the Nats needed Wednesday night.
Clutch offensive performance at opportune moments coupled with Zimmermann’s steady hand is the cause for celebration against the Mets in this particular victory. The sole blemish was a ninth inning outing by closer Tyler Clippard. Before last night, the right-hander hadn’t given up a home run all season. In the past two nights his given up three, two of which were in the ninth innings of Wednesday night’s game.
The Mets were close in staging a comeback inching within just one run of the Nats but Clippard made up for the home runs with three strikeouts, calling it a night then and there.
Rachel moved to DC in the fall of 2005 to study Journalism and Music at American University. When she’s not keeping up with the latest Major League Baseball news, she works on making music as an accomplished singer-songwriter and was even a featured performer/speaker at TEDxDupont Circle in 2012. Rachel has also contributed to The Washington Examiner and MASN Sports’ Nationals Buzz as a guest blogger. See why she loves DC. E-Mail: rachel@welovedc.com.
In every statistical category that matters – ERA, ERA+, WHIP, WAR, QS, Zimmerman leads the Nats.
He is their ace this year.