Washington Nationals Rapid Reaction: Nats Start West Coast Trip On Bad Note

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Zimmermann The Unlucky Loser

With the Nationals’ loss last night, Jordan Zimmermann has still yet to win a game in the second half this season. While wins are not the only statistic a pitcher should be judged on, Zimmermann has not won a game in his last six starts (3.68 ERA).

Last night, the 29-year-old right-hander went seven innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out nine (a season-high), and walked one on 93 pitches (71 strikes). Zimmermann showed great control of all his pitches as 18 of the 23 hitters he faced saw first-pitch strikes.

As I mentioned earlier, the only hitter that Zimmermann had struggles with was Carl Crawford. The Dodgers’ left fielder doubled to lead off the first inning, However, he would make a bad baserunning mistake on an Enrique Hernandez ground out as he tried to advance to third after Ian Desmond threw the ball to third. But, Ryan Zimmerman made a good throw and Yunel Escobar applied the tag to get the out.

Two innings later, Joc Pederson would walk to lead off the third and that would come back to bite Zimmermann. With two outs, Crawford took a 0-2 fastball and blooped it into left for a RBI single. He made a half swing, but the reason for that was the umpire called a balk, which ended up giving him a free swing.

Even though Zimmermann was the unlucky loser last night, he seems to have come back to true form. In his last two outings (13.2 innings), he has given up two earned runs on six hits, struck out 15 batters, and walked one. But, in his last four starts, the Nationals have scored seven runs.

Next: Kershaw Shuts Out Nats Again