NLDS Game 2: Jordan Zimmermann Doesn't Get Nervous... Nats' Game Two Starter Ready For Cards

"I don't see anything changing this time," Jordan Zimmermann said, "I may have a few butterflies when I first walk out there, but I'm sure they'll go away quickly and I'm going to take it as just another ballgame. I'm sure the fans are going to be pretty rowdy and loud, but I'm going to try to zone them out as best I can and pitch the way I know I can pitch." Before the seventh inning of his final start of the year against the Cardinals, Zimmermann had limited St. Louis to four hits. In the seventh, however, he gave up three-straight one-out hits and two of the runs that ultimately counted against him. (Sean Burnett allowed the third of three runs charged to the starter to score.)

"I thought I threw the ball pretty well for six innings," Zimmermann explained, "And I got to the seventh and kind of hit a little bit of a wall and didn't make any quality pitches and that's when they got to me. So I just need to focus later in the game and make some better pitches and quality pitches. I kind of breezed through the first six innings and just hit that wall in the seventh." Zimmermann's only pitched into the eighth inning twice in his major league career, once when he threw a complete game shutout at home in 2011. In the seventh inning so far in his career (21.2 IP), the right-hander has an 8.72 ERA with 34 hits allowed in 94 at bats. He's surrendered six doubles and five home runs, with opponents posting a .362/.444/.585 line against the Nationals' starter...

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