Washington Nationals: 5 to watch against Atlanta again
By Ron Juckett
GIO GONZALEZ
Friday night is a big start for Gio Gonzalez.
After a hot April, Gonzalez has struggled with control in his three May starts. Over the last 17.2 innings, he walked 14. The Baltimore Orioles lit him up for six earned runs on May 8 including three balls leaving Camden Yards. The nibbler is back.
As of Thursday, of the top six starters in MLB by pitches-per-game, the Nats have four on the list including Gonzalez. His eight starts total 836 pitches for an average of 104.5 a game. A calculator check shows that is 16.39 per inning. Not great but under Tanner Roark’s 18-plus total.
With the bullpen still in flux, it is important for all the starters to go as deep as they can. After four consecutive starts where he pitched into the seventh, Gonzalez did so once in his last three. He must harness his pitches and hang on as the help behind him is sketchy.
Although he did not pitch at SunTrust the first visit, the Braves love Gonzalez. Last year in four starts, Atlanta knocked him around for a 7.11 ERA and .317 batting average. Somehow out of that mess, he only had one decision. A loss.