In long-awaited start vs. original club, Meyer one-hits Nationals

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Alex Meyer's name doesn't garner much reaction from most current members of the Nationals or most members of a fan base that barely remembers the club using a first-round pick on the big right-hander way back in 2011.

The handful of players who spent time with Meyer in the low minor leagues for one season, though, have fond memories of him. And the 6-foot-9 hurler, whose career hasn't panned out quite as he once hoped, still has kind words to say about the franchise that drafted him.

Of course, it's easier to say all that after you one-hit that franchise during the best performance of your brief major league career.

"I have a lot of respect for the organization," Meyer said after tossing seven brilliant innings tonight to lead the Angels to a 7-0 victory. "My one year there was a blast, and that was low-A and high-A. Some of my best friends were over there. I still keep in contact with them today. It was fun being able to face them. I was happy to come away with a win against them."

Meyer was absolutely brilliant, carrying a perfect game into the fifth and a no-hitter into the sixth, ultimately departing after the seventh with a pitching display that ranked among the best the Nationals have seen this year.

It was only the second time the Nats have been shut out in 94 games this season, and it was only the fifth time they've been held to one hit in 12 1/2 seasons of club history, with the previous occurrence happening back in 2013 when Michael Wacha lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth in St. Louis.

To be fair, Meyer and his bullpen mates did this against a Nationals lineup that was without Bryce Harper (given a rare day off) or the injured Trea Turner, Jayson Werth or Michael A. Taylor. Nonetheless, his performance made an impression on the opposition.

"We don't get shut out much and one-hit ever," manager Dusty Baker said. "So you just gotta give (Meyer) the credit tonight. He was throwing great."

The Nationals always liked Meyer, hence their selection of him with the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 draft. But two years later, their longstanding need for a leadoff-hitting center fielder outweighed their need to develop one of several pitching prospects in their pipeline, and so Meyer was dealt to the Twins in exchange for Denard Span.

That trade worked out perfectly well for the Nationals, who happily employed Span for three seasons and watched as Meyer never developed into the frontline starter he was touted to become.

But none of that means Meyer doesn't still have talent. And now in his second season with the Angels - he was traded from Minnesota nearly one year ago - he is trying to establish himself as a viable big league starter.

He certainly looked the part tonight. Meyer retired the first 14 batters he faced, striking out four in a row at one point, and barely breaking a sweat along the way. Anthony Rendon, drafted 17 spots ahead of Meyer back in 2011, broke up his perfect game bid with a two-out walk in the fifth. Brian Goodwin, drafted 11 spots behind Meyer, broke up his no-hit big with a two-out double in the sixth.

But that was the entirety of the Nationals' offensive output against the right-hander, who needed only 88 pitches to complete seven innings for the first time in his career.

"I always thought he had great stuff," said Goodwin, who was treated to breakfast this morning by his former minor league teammate. (Rendon was invited, as well, but Meyer said the third baseman slept in until 1 p.m. and missed out.) "Even when he was with us, he pitched his tail off, just like he did tonight. I guess he looks a little more crafty now. Definitely able to do more with the ball, be more precise with it. But you knew when we got him there was a reason we got him so early."

Unlike his counterpart, Gio Gonzalez did not look comfortable on the mound from the get-go. The left-hander was particularly deliberate during a long first inning that began with a single, a walk and another single and ended with two runs crossing the plate.

Gonzalez did find his groove and at one point retired 15-of-17 batters faced to keep the game close. But then he hit a wall in the sixth, issuing a leadoff walk and then grooving a changeup right down the pipe to C.J. Cron, who hammered it 461 feet to left field to extend the Angels' lead to 4-0.

Gonzalez wound up departing a few minutes later, having thrown 107 pitches in 5 2/3 innings.

"First inning, was just trying to find a rhythm," the lefty said. "And then after that, I wasn't as sharp today as I'd like to be. But I managed to fight all the way til the final pitch, and then it just sucks. All it took was one pitch that made the difference, and that pitch ended up being a high changeup to the guy that I was two times ahead in the count. Just one of those things that's unfortunate."

Trying to keep the game within striking distance, Joe Blanton instead expanded the deficit to seven runs during a ragged relief appearance that included a towering home run by Mike Trout.

Two Angels relievers then finished off Meyer's work, completing a most unlikely one-hitter against a team that hadn't found itself in anything close to that situation previously this season.