Washington Nationals Reactions: Ryan Zimmerman Continues To Be Mr. Clutch In DC
By Ricky Keeler
May 19, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) reacts after being doused with chocolate syrup after beating the New York Yankees 8-6 at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Zimmerman Finding His Form
After a tough first month of the season, Ryan Zimmerman is starting to find his form. After hitting .217 in the month of April (20 hits) with a .277 on-base percentage, Zimmerman is hitting .279 in May (17 hits) with a .319 on-base percentage.
In that at-bat against Miller, Zimmerman was able to get a 2-1 fastball from Miller up and away and hit it off of the foul pole in right field. After that home run, he now has 10 career walk-off homers, which is tied for third all-time in the National League. Against the Yankees closer, he is 5-for-12 with two doubles and two home runs.
While all the talk has been around Bryce Harper and his clutch hitting over the last three weeks, Ryan Zimmerman has quietly been one of team’s best hitters when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position.
Now, he does get more chances because of where he hits in the lineup. Nevertheless, he is hitting .320 with RISP and has two home runs and 26 RBI’s. He leads the Nats in hits (16), and is second in home runs, batting average, and RBI’s (behind Harper in all three categories).
With that home run last night, Zimmerman has driven in a run in four straight games and has six RBI’s over that span. Ever since he was selected with the fourth pick in the 2005 MLB Draft, he has been the face of this franchise. Last night, he added to that legacy with his second walk-off home run against the Yankees in his career. All the national attention is on Harper for now, but the 30-year old who is fifth in the NL in RBI’s (31) this season deserves a lot more attention.