Stephen Strasburg allowed four runs in seven innings, but the offense stepped up to the challenge and a Zimmerman-LaRoche double steal in the top of the ninth allowed a game-winning sacrifice fly by Tyler Moore to give the Nats the 5-4 win.

May 4, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Strasburg again did not dazzle, allowing four runs in seven innings. He now has a 3.45 ERA on the season, nothing to scoff at, but has been the Nationals’ third best starter this season, leaving many to wonder why he seems different than last season. His stats are good this year, but he does not inspire confidence on the mound and has looked worse to the naked eye than his numbers indicate. In the first inning, where he has struggled the most this season, he got off to an inauspicious start by hitting Starling Marte with a pitch. Marte then stole second and reached third when Wilson Ramos‘ throw went into centerfield, but Strasburg stranded him by retiring the other three batters he faced. He threw a perfect second and was looking good when Ian Desmond‘s sacrifice fly gave the Nats a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.

Strasburg encountered trouble in the third, however, as Clint Barmes singled and Marte scored him with a two-run homer, putting the Pirates up by one. However, the offense came to Strasburg’s aid when it had not in the past. Another sacrifice fly tied the game in the top of the fourth after Ryan Zimmerman led the inning off with a triple, his first hit since returning from the DL. The hit would likely not have been a triple if it were not for the left fielder Marte’s decision to take his glove off his left hand and hold it in his right after the ball caromed off of the wall in left field. Unsurprisingly, the ball got by him, and Zimmerman reached third. After a scoreless fourth, the Pirates struck again in the fifth with a two-run homer by Barmes, who is hitting .192 on the season with a .256 slugging percentage. But once again, the offense bailed Strasburg out.

Pirates starter Jeff Locke came out for the sixth, but immediately allowed a single to Bryce Harper and walked Zimmerman and was pulled. His replacement, Justin Wilson, walked Adam LaRoche, who was 1-1 with three walks and a sacrifice fly, to load the bases. FOX announcer Howard Davis informed us that “the sacks are soaked”, and Tyler Moore struck out for out number one. Next up, Ramos made Wilson pay by delivering a two-run single that tied the game, 4-4. The threat would end there, unfortunately, as Roger Bernadinaand Strasburg would strike out to end the frame. In the seventh, the Nats would load the bases with two outs again, but Moore would strike out again, squandering the opportunity. The Nationals had many opportunities, with six walks, three HBPs, and two reached-on-errors in addition to their six hits, but were only 1-10 with runners in scoring position, scoring three runs on sac flies and stranding ten runners.

May 4, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) slides past Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Russell Martin (55) with the game winning run during the ninth inning at PNC Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Clippard (W, 2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth thanks to a nice double play on a liner straight to him after Andrew McCutchen singled with one out. In the ninth, Zimmerman and LaRoche reached thanks to a HBP on Zimmerman’s leg and a walk to bring up the 0-3 Moore. It was here that Davey Johnson took a chance. Pitcher Tony Watson was not paying close attention, perhaps believing the gimpy Zimmmerman would not run, and the manager took advantage, sending both runners. The ploy worked spectacularly, with both runners getting massive jumps and reaching without a throw. It also paid immediate dividends, with Moore delivering a sacrifice fly to give the Nats the 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Rafael Soriano locked it down to earn his tenth save. The Nationals are now 16-15, cutting the now-struggling Braves’ (5-11 in their last 16) lead to two games.

Next Game: Sunday in Pittsburgh, 1:35  PM. Gonzalez (2-2, 5.34) v. Rodriguez (2-1, 3.91)

Apr 29, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper (34) runs the bases against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Harper bruised his side jumping into the right wall, but started yesterday before being removed after tweaking his side on a check swing. Meanwhile, Werth will start after missing two games with a hamstring injury and an ankle injury that resulted from his fouling a ball off his own leg. The Nationals’ offense has been struggling, so the team must be fully healthy to hope for a return to offensive form.

Speaking of fully healthy, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has had no troubles in his rehab assignment and looks ready to return from the DL on Friday in Pittsburgh. He was put on the DL on April 18th with a hamstring injury, but appears to have recovered fully. His return will mean the re-demotion of current 3B Anthony Rendon, likely back to AA, who has seemed overwhelmed at times and committed multiple errors, but has managed to tread water with a .182 batting average and .308 OBP.

Mar 8, 2013; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training game at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

This news is simultaneously exciting and discouraging. Rendon is widely regarded as the Nationals’ top prospect, ranked as such by both Baseball America and District on Deck’s own rankings this offseason, and BA pegged him as the 30th best prospect in baseball. You can read my scouting report on him here. In 14 games this season at Harrisburg, he has hit .292/.462/.500 with two home runs, 14 walks, and nine strikeouts. He also made his case by posting a .375/.412/.875 line in 13 Spring Training games this year. He is a stellar player on both offense and defense, but there is a world of difference between AA and Spring Training and the majors. Optimists will recall the similar circumstances surrounding Bryce Harper‘s MLB debut last April: the roster spot was opened by a Zimmerman DL trip. However, Rendon’s situation is different: as a third baseman, he will return to the minors immediately once Zimmerman returns to health. Given the apparent lack of concern over Zimmerman’s hamstring before today, that should be sooner rather than later.

The news regarding Zimmerman’s move to the DL is the discouraging part. Injuries have been his main problem throughout his career, and this will mark the third consecutive year in which he has made an April DL trip. Hopefully he can come back fully healthy and ready to play the rest of the season, but this injury shows that his health fragility has not improved.