Washington Nationals: 3 storylines to watch in NLDS Game 2
By Drew Douglas
Will Gio Gonzalez bounce back from weak finish to regular season?
As we saw in game one, a solid outing from your starting pitcher is a key to success. Kyle Hendricks dominated the Nats, en route to a 3-0 victory. Tonight, Gio Gonzalez will look to do the same.
2017 was a terrific season for Gonzalez, but he did not finish on a good note, pitching to a 5.47 ERA between September and October.
When Gonzalez struggled in previous seasons, it was largely due to poor control. This was also the case at the end of the regular season. In his final five starts, he only threw 59% strikes, which led to mediocre outings.
If you look at Gonzalez’s final nine starts, dating back to August 15, he issued at least one walk in each start, including issuing at least three walks five times. Throwing strikes is arguably the most important aspect of pitching, and poor control will almost always lead to poor results.
If Gonzalez is going to bounce back tonight, he must pound the strike zone and trust his defense to make plays behind him.
Fortunately for the Nats, Gonzalez has solid numbers against the current Cubs roster. A couple notable matchups that stand out include Jason Heyward (8-for-37) and Anthony Rizzo (2-for-22).
The matchup with Rizzo is especially encouraging. Rizzo crushed the Nats in game one, going 2-for-4 with two RBI’s. If Gonzalez is able to shut him down, it creates a hole in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup.
The Nats need a quality start from Gonzalez tonight, and he is more than capable. However, he will struggle if he cannot throw strikes. How he attacks hitters will definitely be something to keep an eye on.