Washington Nationals pounded by St. Louis Cardinals 4-12 as Jordan Zimmermann leaks runs in Game 2
Starter Jordan Zimmermann leaks runs as Washington Nationals are pounded 4-12 by St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri on October 8, 2012 in the second game of the five match National League Division Series.
Washington surrendered against the offensive onslaught by the Cardinals on Monday.
Zimmermann initiated the proceedings from the mound. Against the expectations, he leaked runs and allowed the Cardinals to post a substantial lead.
The Nationals’ arms on rotation are considered among the best in baseball. Tremendous performances throughout the regular season by their hurlers are testament to this fact.
However, since beginning of the playoffs, their pitchers have struggled.
In the first game of the Division series, their starter Gio Gonzalez had difficulty in showing control and command. On Monday, Zimmermann was roughed up.
Due to his unimpressive performance, he was yanked from the mound after three innings. He yielded seven hits and gave up five runs.
Apart from Zimmermann, Nationals’ relievers also struggled to block the flow of runs.
While the Cardinals took their lead to an unassailable level, the Nationals' offence remained quiet. It hardly showed any resistance.
Although the Nationals struck 10 hits in the game, they could not post a respectable total on the scoreboard out of them.
Offensively, their third baseman Ryan Zimmerman stood out. He struck two hits in four at-bats and contributed two RBIs.
Zimmermann mentions the solid offence of the Cardinals as he discussed his poor show on the mound. He will be disappointed over letting his team down in such an important game.
"They have a great lineup," Zimmermann said. "You get a few guys out and then you've got Beltran, (David) Freese and it never stops. You have to make your pitches and I wasn't able to do that tonight."
The Nationals’ pride of having quality pitchers on rotation is in danger. When it matters the most, their hurlers are not living up to their reputation.
Their manager Davey Johnson will be concerned about the performance of his pitchers.
If the likes of Gonzalez and Zimmermann cannot absorb the pressure of the playoffs, the rest of the pitchers will find it even more difficult.
Johnson will be hoping that his team bounces back in the next game and heads toward winning the National League Division Series.
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