WASHINGTON (CBSDC) - With 3 complete games under his belt, and after having gone deeper than 7 innings in 11 of 15 starts this season, resulting in a 10-3 record and 2.26 ERA, Jordan Zimmermann is having a career year with the Nationals, placing his name firmly atop the ballot for the 2013 MLB All-Star game in New York.
But the class act that he is, Jordan humbly defers all recognition to his teammates, crediting his success solely to their efforts, and to a little extra run support than he’s been used to in his career.
“I feel like I’m pitching the same but I’m just getting the run support, so I have more wins this year,” Zimmermann told 106.7 The Fan’s Holden and Danny on Tuesday.
“I obviously have a good year going and hopefully I’ll be up in New York, but the way I look at it, it’s not just an individual thing, it’s more of a team thing for me,” he added. “I wouldn’t be where I am now if the guys playing behind me would be kicking the balls. I just throw a ball and they play defense.”
Really not a lot has changed, according to Zimmermann, aside from the results manifesting more frequently on the field.
“It’s a lot easier pitching with a lead and you can pitch guys differently and just attack, and if you give up a run it’s not that big a deal because you know they’re going to get you five or six runs,” he said.
Although, he has expanded his repertoire by adding a changeup that he’s confident in throwing.
“I think the changeup really helped this year,” Zimmermann said. “I threw one, I don’t know if you guys were watching the last game, the one I threw to Carlos Gonzalez to strike him out in the 8th. In years past I would have never thrown that pitch.”
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