Zimmermann reflects on '14 NLDS, prepares for Sunday start

DETROIT - The Nationals face off against an old teammate and friend in Sunday's finale when right-hander Max Scherzer opposes Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann.

The matchup features the pitchers who combined to throw all three of the Nats no-hitters.

Zimmermann was a two-time All-Star with the Nats, helping to guide them to their first two postseason appearances in 2012 and 2014. He finished in the top seven in Cy Young voting in 2013 and 2014. The 2007 second-round selection also threw the Nationals first ever no-hitter on the last day of the 2014 regular season.

Now in his fourth season with the Tigers, Zimmermann has compiled a 24-33 record with a 5.31 ERA, not close to the success he had for the Nats. Due to nagging injuries, the right-hander has started 29 games once with Detroit after making 32 or more starts in four straight seasons with the Nationals. This season he is 0-5 with a 5.95 ERA.

"Obviously, the time with the Nats was a lot of good times and not many times on the disabled list," Zimmermann said. "Which over the past three, four years it seems like I've been on there quite a bit. It seems like one thing breaks down and I get that fixed and something else happens. It's just one of those things where I'm trying to stay healthy and right now I feel good. I'm excited to be back out there pitching again."

With all the accolades and thrilling moments Zimmermann had with the Nats, including a 70-50 record (fourth all time on the Nationals' win list) and a 3.32 ERA, he still remembers that October night when he was pulled from the playoff game against the San Francisco Giants. He needed only one more out for the complete game shutout.

Oct. 4, 2014. Game Two of the 2014 National League Division Series.

The Giants led the best-of-five series 1-0. But in Game Two, on a chilly and windy fall night at Nationals Park, Zimmermann was throwing a masterpiece.

The Nats led 1-0 in the top of the ninth, needing three outs to even the series and the right-hander had allowed San Francisco three hits through eight innings.

He struck out Matt Duffy for the first out in the top of the ninth. The Giants win probability fell to eight percent. Zimmermann then got Grégor Blanco to fly out to center field for the second out. The Giants win probability dropped to three percent.

Against Joe Panik, the count went to 3-1 and Zimmermann lost him, his first walk of the night. Zimmermann had thrown 100 pitches, 69 for strikes.

Matt Williams, the Nationals manager in 2014, came out to the mound and replaced Zimmermann with Drew Storen. The closer gave up a Buster Posey single. Pablo Sandoval then laced line drive run-scoring double to left field to score Panik and tie the game at 1-1.

San Francisco won the game in 18 innings on a Brandon Belt homer, 2-1. The Giants took the series 3-1 and eventually won the World Series.

Zimmermann still believes he had enough left to finish that crucial game and deliver a postseason win to the Nationals.

"Yeah, I wish I was able to stay out there for another batter," Zimmermann said. "I have a lot of people that bring that up to me still to his day, 'wish they would have kept you in there.' You're not the only one. I felt like I was in control the whole game."

Zimmermann kept his opinion to himself that night about the fateful move by Williams. But nearly five years later, he says that decision still stings.

"Just one walk at the end and I get pulled," Zimmermann said. "I was pretty disappointed about at the time. But obviously I'm not going to say that at the time. Obviously, I said it was the right move. I said all the right things but as years gone by obviously I would've wanted to be out there and didn't really even get a chance to plead my case when Matt came out there. He'd already called to the bullpen so there was no rewinding at that point."

It is interesting that Williams was so stubborn that night. Most times when a manager comes to the mound he checks in with his pitcher before making the call to the 'pen. But Zimmermann had turned his back and was caught off guard when he saw Williams approach him.

"That situation I walked him and I still remember to this day," Zimmermann recounted. "I got the ball. I turned around on the mound. I checked where the infielders were and I looked back and he's on the line and I didn't see him call for the bullpen because he called so quick before the first couple steps. And he got out there and I was expecting him to ask me how I'm doing and he put his hand out to reach for the ball which at that point there's really nothing you can say."

But even with that bitter defeat in his memory, Zimmermann has made so many lifelong friends from his time in D.C. And he still speak to several of his old teammates today.

"Obviously you remember the playoffs and all the playoff games that we were in over there," Zimmermann said. "The no-hitter is probably the one thing that sticks out the most I can have with me the rest of my career and the rest of my life.

"Just playing with those guys over there, we were such a close-knit group. I still talk to (Craig) Stammen who is out on the West Coast and Ryan Zimmerman texted me last night a little bit. I talk to Stras (Stephen Strasburg) quite a bit. Guys that have moved on, (Tyler) Clippard I just saw the other day. It's crazy that most of us came up together and then we all went our separate ways.

"Over the years we have came across each other, playing each other and able to catch up a little bit which is really cool. You always pull for your old teammates and I'm excited to see those guys starting to play a little better over there."

Zimmermann enjoys living with his wife, Mandy, and their two kids (ages 5 and 3 1/2) in nearby Birmingham, MI. He still gets the chance to hunt and fish in the offseason in his native Wisconsin. As for 2019, it has been a start-and-stop beginning with injuries slowing his consistency.

"I started out good the first couple starts and then over the course the next three or four starts I started to get some forearm tightness," Zimmermann said. "Then, got that looked at and ended up having a tear in my flexor tendon. Put me on the shelf for month and a half, almost two months, and coming back from that.

"Trying to get everything strong and built back up again," he continued. "I'm pitching every five days but I'm not on the full workload that I'd like to be. I'm just trying to work up to that right now."

The former Nationals starter now looks ahead to Sunday's start against his old team.

"Everything is good," Zimmermann said. "Trying to grind every day and try to stay healthy."