Results tagged ‘ Jordan Zimmermann ’
Capture the Caption: Magazine 1
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
Flex your creative muscles and come up with a caption for the series of photos below from Nationals Magazine, Issue 1 featuring Tyler Moore and Jordan Zimmermann. Leave your response in the comments and we’ll feature our favorites in print in Issue 2, available at Nationals Park beginning in June!
What to Watch for: 5.8.13
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
Detroit Tigers (19-11) vs. Washington Nationals (17-15)
RHP Anibal Sanchez (3-2, 1.82) vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (5-1, 1.64)
Following a two-day break – after playing 17 games in 17 days – the Nationals return home to take on the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers in a short, two-game set. Familiar foe and former Marlin Anibal Sanchez matches up with Jordan Zimmermann, who shares the National League lead with five wins.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Desmond SS
3. Harper RF
4. Zimmerman 3B
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Moore LF
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Suzuki C
9. Zimmermann RHP
CATT’S MEOW
In 13 games dating to April 23, Steve McCatty’s starting staff has fashioned a 2.96 ERA (28 ER/85.0 IP) thanks in part to a 3.4/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .218 batting average against.
THE SERIES
The Nationals, since their arrival in the Nation’s Capital, have never beaten the Tigers, going 0-6. The Nationals have posted wins against each of Major League Baseball’s other 28 clubs. This is the Tigers first visit to Nationals Park, although Detroit did sweep a three-game set in D.C., June 15-17, 2007 at RFK.
THE AMERICAN WAY
The Nationals are 21-15 in interleague play since the beginning of 2011. The corresponding .583 winning percentage paces National League clubs (tied for fifth in MLB) in that 2+ year span, during which Washington is 11-7 (.611) at Nationals Park when facing AL competition.
Canceling The Noise
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
As Greg Maddux so astutely pointed out to Tom Glavine in the hilarious Nike ad from the late ’90s, chicks dig the long ball. In fact, so does every baseball fan and writer, as home runs are, incidentally, the loudest happening on a baseball field. Perhaps it’s no surprise then, that Justin Upton and the hard-swinging Atlanta Braves garnered many of the season’s early headlines.
While the Nationals have plenty of potential for pop in their own lineup, there is no denying that the pitching will lead them as far as they go this season. So it was only fitting that, after an 8-1 loss which left their final April record at just 13-14, Washington quietly rebounded with a pair of dominant pitching performances to earn a four-game split of a tough road series in Atlanta.
Dan Haren and the Nationals are quietly back within 2.5 games of first place.
Following Jordan Zimmermann’s beauty on Wednesday, veteran Dan Haren shredded his way through the Braves lineup with stunning efficiency on Thursday, allowing just a solo home run over eight innings.
At one point, Nationals pitchers had retired 28 straight Atlanta hitters, one better than the equivalent of a perfect game over the two-day stretch. They ran up an 18-inning scoreless streak as well, and have allowed just one run over their last 21 frames entering this weekend’s series in Pittsburgh.
It was, perhaps, a bit ironic that on the day that Upton was honored with the National League Player of the Month – and Evan Gattis the NL Rookie of the Month – it was the rival Nationals bullying their way to another big road win, sucking the air out of the Turner Field crowd.
Even more so, the Nationals were able to jump on nemesis Kris Medlen early for the only three runs they would need. They didn’t do it by leaving the ballpark, but rather thanks to a pair of doubles by the pesky, opportunistic Denard Span, who scored the game’s first run, then scooted a ball down the third base line to plate the rest of the Washington scoring an inning later.
And so, quietly, the Nationals have put a lackluster April behind them, and are just 2.5 games back of first place in the first week of May. With the ever-improving Ross Detwiler set to take the hill Friday night, Washington looks to carry that momentum, led by their pitching, into the Steel City.
What to Watch for: 5.2.13
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
Washington Nationals (14-14) vs. Atlanta Braves (17-10)
RHP Dan Haren (2-3, 6.29) vs. RHP Kris Medlen (1-3, 3.26)
The Nationals rode another shutdown performance from Jordan Zimmermann to a 2-0 victory last night, setting up a shot at a split of the four-game set against Atlanta tonight. Dan Haren is coming off his best start and second win of the season, while Kris Medlen is coming off his worst, in which he allowed five runs on 10 hits and two walks in 5.1 innings of work.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Lombardozzi 2B
3. Harper LF
4. Werth RF
5. Desmond SS
6. LaRoche 1B
7. Rendon 3B
8. Ramos C
9. Haren RHP
DESMOND CLEANS UP WHILE BATTING CLEANUP
With his two-run shot in the fourth inning, Ian Desmond became the first player in Nationals (2005-present) history to homer in his first career start as a cleanup hitter. Going back further, Desmond is the first franchise player to homer in his first start in the cleanup spot since the Expos Greg Colbrunn, May 26, 1993 vs. St. Louis.
J000000000000000000RDAN
Jordan Zimmermann tossed 8.0 dominant, scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits. He walked none, struck out a season-high eight and ran his personal string of consecutive scoreless innings to 18.0 straight in the process. He has allowed just five baserunners (three hits, two walks) over that stretch.
ELIAS SAYS
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, last night’s tilt was the first nine-inning big league contest since 1997 (Toronto at Milwaukee, Game One of July 28 twin bill) in which neither team had a batter reach base (via hit, walk, HBP or error) from the fifth inning to the end of the game.
Quietly Storming
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
A quick look at Jordan Zimmermann’s 2013 season so far shows that he has been, unequivocally, one of the 10 best pitchers in baseball. His 1.64 ERA (sixth), five wins (tied-second), .168 batting average against (fourth) and 0.75 WHIP (second) all rank among the top marks in the Major Leagues. Somehow, even considering all of that, he may still be underrated.
Dating back to his final inning of work on April 21 in New York, the Wisconsin native has shut out opponents over his last 18 frames. In his last two starts, against the dangerous lineups of the Reds and Braves, he has allowed just three hits and a walk in 17 innings of work.
Almost always stoic and composed on the mound, Zimmermann’s internal fire leads him to go right after hitters.
The reason for Zimmermann’s success is no secret. He comes right after hitters with all four of his featured pitches – his fastball, slider, curveball and changeup – and attacks the strike zone. In fact, he has thrown at least 60 strikes in all but one of his starts. The lone exception? His first career shutout, a one-hitter in which he needed only 91 pitches (59 of them strikes) to silence the Reds bats.
“I’m just getting ahead of guys, throwing strikes, making them hit my pitch,” Zimmermann said after his latest gem in Atlanta. “Last year, I’d fall behind and have to battle to get back to even and ahead in the count…this year, so far, I’ve stayed in attack mode and gone right after hitters.”
Zimmermann’s ability to control the strike zone is reflected in his ever-improving strikeout-to-walk rate, which sits at 3.83 so far this season, up from 3.56 last season. His career mark of 3.53 would rank right alongside Zack Greinke in the top 20 all-time among pitchers with 1,000 or more innings thrown. While Zimmermann has only tossed just over half that total (523.1 after Wednesday’s shutout of the Braves), the 26-year-old shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Last season, Zimmermann was a model of consistency, throwing at least six innings in each of his first 21 starts. But he never made it past the seventh in any of those outings, throwing exactly six frames 12 times. Through six starts this season, the righty has finished eight or more innings three times already, including a pair of complete games.
“I think that’s just experience,” said Davey Johnson of Zimmermann’s improvement in efficiency. “He’s getting more comfortable with the league, the ballparks, the umpires, the mounds, the hitters and how they approach him.”
And while Zimmermann remains as calm and collected as ever on the mound, the competitive engine within him – the one fans got a glimpse of in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the NLDS last year – churns as strong as ever.
“He’s got that calm demeanor,” explained Johnson. “But there’s a big fire going on inside him.”
Zimmerman Completes Quick Rehab Assignment
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
While Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond and the Nationals were busy shutting down the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night, one of their fellow teammates took a big step forward as well.
Batting third and wearing No. 33 for the High-A Potomac Nationals, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman saw an assortment of fastballs, sliders and change-ups from Carolina Mudcats starter Joseph Colon in three at bats.
Zimmerman needed just one rehab start to get back up to speed. (Gerardo Lopez/tabdeportes.com)
Zimmerman told the media contingent in the Potomac clubhouse that it was good to face live pitching again and that, “everything went great. (It was) good to get back out there. Everything felt fine.”
Playing in front of a supportive crowd of 3,032, Zimmerman grounded out to short in his first at-bat, testing the tight hamstring that landed him on the 15-day disabled list by running hard through the bag. He flied out to deep right-center in the fourth inning, then reached safely on a Carolina Mudcats fielding error in the sixth.
Defensively, the former Gold Glove Award winner made three successful fielding plays in six innings, including an excellent play on a sacrifice bunt attempt. He charged hard to catch the ball in the air and whipped a sidearm throw to first to nearly double off the base runner.
“My arm feels great and my hammy (hamstring) feels great,” Zimmerman said. “Now it’s just time to get back up there and get going.”
Zimmerman said he would work out on Thursday, likely at Nationals Park, before flying to Pittsburgh to join his teammates as they take on the Pirates over the weekend. Despite being held out for the required 15 days, he told reporters he started working out after just five days of rest and never had any residual hamstring issues.
Highlights: 5.1.13
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
5.1.13 – Nationals 2, Braves 0
Stat of the Game: Jordan Zimmermann continued to dominate, running his scoreless innings streak to 18 with eight shutout frames of two-hit ball.
Under-the-Radar Performance: Ian Desmond extended his hitting streak to eight games with a two-run shot that provided all the game’s offense.
It Was Over When: The Nationals never allowed the tying run to reach base, retiring the final 20 Braves batters.
What to Watch for: 5.1.13
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
Washington Nationals (13-14) vs. Atlanta Braves (17-9)
RHP Jordan Zimmermann (4-1, 2.00) vs. LHP Paul Maholm (3-2, 3.30)
The Nationals turn to Jordan Zimmermann to turn the tide against the Braves, who have won nine straight in this series dating back to last season. Zimmermann is coming off of his first career complete game shutout, a one-hitter against Cincinnati last Friday night. The Braves will counter with Paul Maholm, who opened the season on a 25.1 scoreless innings streak, but has been touched up for 11 earned runs in his last 4.2 frames.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Lombardozzi 2B
3. Harper RF
4. Desmond SS
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Moore LF
7. Rendon 3B
8. Suzuki C
9. Zimmermann RHP
ALL OR NEARLY NOTHING
Washington is plating 5.8 runs per contest in 13 wins, but only 1.4 per contest in 14 losses to date. The Nationals have scored two runs or less in six of their 11 road games to date.
AGGRESSIVE APRIL
Bryce Harper established Nationals (2005-present) club records for home runs (9), RBI (18), extra-base hits (16) and OPS (1.150) in the month of April.
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Ian Desmond has hit safely in seven straight games, going 10-for-26 (.385) with two doubles, a triple, three RBI, four runs scored and a walk. Desmond (April 5-12) and Jayson Werth (April 6-13) previously posted seven-game hitting streaks for Washington, so with a hit tonight, Ian’s streak would reach a team season-high eight games.
What to Watch for: 4.27.13
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
Cincinnati Reds (13-11) vs. Washington Nationals (12-11)
RHP Mike Leake (1-0, 3.81) vs. RHP Dan Haren (1-3, 7.36)
Washington is coming off consecutive one-hit performances in the first two games of this series, which have helped the Nationals get back over the .500 mark on the season. Dan Haren looks for his second home win of the season as he squares off with fellow right-hander Mike Leake, who started the lone game the Nationals won in their recent series at Cincinnati.
NATIONALS LINEUP:
1. Span CF
2. Espinosa 2B
3. Harper LF
4. Werth RF
5. LaRoche 1B
6. Desmond SS
7. Rendon 3B
8. Suzuki C
9. Haren RHP
ONE HIT, ZERO TOLERANCE
Washington blanked the Reds, 1-0, on Friday night at Nationals Park as Jordan Zimmermann posted the first shutout of his career. Zimmermann one-hit the Reds with Xavier Paul’s third-inning single serving as his lone blemish, walking one and struck out four. In the 4th, Bryce Harper tripled and scored the game’s lone run one batter later via Jayson Werth’s RBI-single.
CATT’S MEOW
Nationals starting pitchers have allowed three earned runs or less in 10 of the last 11 games. During this 11-game span, Steve McCatty’s starters have compiled a stingy 3.20 ERA (25 ER/70.1 IP).
APRIL POWER BRINGS MAY FLOWERS
With four games remaining in the month, note that the Nationals have already hit 26 home runs and could challenge the team mark for April home runs (30 in ‘06). With 26 in the bag, the ‘13 Nationals have already secured the second-most powerful Opening Month in the club’s nine-year history.
One-Hit Wonders
Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook
The Nationals have a short turnaround for Saturday’s matinee versus the Reds following Friday night’s contest, but we felt it was important to take a moment to truly appreciate what the team has accomplished over the last couple of nights.
On Thursday, Gio Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano combined to throw just the second one-hitter in the history of the young Nationals franchise. On Friday night, Jordan Zimmermann did all the work himself, needing just 91 pitches to finish a one-hitter of his own, his first career shutout.
Zimmermann threw his second complete game in his past three starts Friday.
It was the first time since August 10-11, 1917 that a Washington-based baseball club had one-hit an opponent on consecutive days, when first Walter Johnson, then a trio of Senators did so to the Chicago White Sox. Perhaps more impressively, it was the first time the Cincinnati Reds had been one-hit in back-to-back games since July 5-6, 1900, nearly 113 years ago.
For some perspective, the Brooklyn team that accomplished that mastery of the Reds was called the Superbas. The Flatbush Nine would not first begin adopting the nickname Dodgers for 11 more years, and would not make the permanent switch until 1932.
Gonzalez had shown that he was capable of such a performance as far back as last season’s home opener against this same Reds club, which he shut out on just two hits over seven frames. But the progression for Zimmermann, who turned in his first-ever nine inning complete game just two starts ago in Miami, was truly impressive.
“Since I’ve been here, that’s the best-pitched game I’ve seen,” stated Davey Johnson following Zimmermann’s latest gem.
Part of that was due to Zimmermann’s stunning efficiency, but a good deal of it can be attributed to the opponent he silenced. The Reds came into this series with the second-highest run-producing offense in the National League, just one run behind league-leading Colorado. They had posted double-digit run totals five times in their first 22 games before arriving in D.C. this weekend. And they scored 27 runs over the three-game set between these teams just three weeks ago in Cincinnati.
With their performances the past two nights, Gonzalez and Zimmermann made all of that seem about long ago as the age of the Brooklyn Superbas.
Recent Comments