Washington Nationals' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann went just five innings last night in Coors Field in Colorado, giving up eight hits (four doubles, two triples, two home runs) and four runs total, all earned.
More important than the results, however, was the fact that the 28-year-old Nationals' starter came through the outing against the Rockies without a flare-up of the bicep issue which resulted in him leaving his last start after just 3 ⅓ IP and missing his second straight All-Star appearance.
Zimmermann wasn't particularly sharp in his first start in 11 days, but the bicep wasn't an issue.
"It wasn't the bicep," Zimmermann told reporters after the Nationals' 7-4 win. "The bicep felt great. I had eight days off and four of them I didn't throw. So, I was a little rusty, but I made it through just fine and hopefully I'll be a lot better next time."
"He couldn't find his fastball," Nats' skipper Matt Williams explained. "He came to the dugout saying, 'I don't know where my fastball is going.' So he threw a lot of sliders to get into counts and get outs, but his fastball command wasn't quite there today. But he felt great, so that's encouraging."
"I just didn't have a very good fastball," Zimmermann admitted.
"The command was way off. I'm hoping it was because of the days off. I was just missing over the middle. I'd get two strikes, and I'd miss over the middle and it seemed to be a double or a triple every time and it was a real battle tonight. Seemed I had my hands full every inning. I had to work extremely hard and I'm glad we got the win."
Zimmermann threw 76 pitches in his five innings of work, gave up at least a hit in each frame and two home runs in a start for the first time this season, but the Nationals rallied late and Adam LaRoche's three-run blast in the seventh finally put them ahead for good.
Williams lifted Zimmermann when the Nationals tied it up at 4-4 in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases with two down.
"We've got to try to go ahead there," he said after the game. "He could have pitched more, but tried to take the lead and see what we could do from there, but he felt good. No issues, which is good."
The Nationals didn't take the lead there. Pinch hitter Nate McLouth grounded out to end the rally, but after a scoreless inning of relief work by Craig Stammen they took the lead on LaRoche's blast.
Zimmermann was just happy to get through the start and feel good afterwards.
"You never know what it's going to feel like the next time you go out," he said, "but I got out there and I felt good in the bullpen warming up and I felt good the whole way through, so that's definitely a good sign."
After 20 starts, the Nationals' '07 2nd Round pick is (6-5) with a 3.20 ERA, a 2.90 FIP, 20 walks (1.53 BB/9) and 107 Ks (8.16 K/9) in 118 IP.