Zimmermann cruising, showing no ill effects (scoreless no more)

Hard to believe Jordan Zimmermann was battling the flu less than 24 hours ago. He looks pretty healthy to the Braves, I bet.

Zimmermann is through three scoreless innings and doesn't look like he's being overtaxed. He's allowed one hit - a two-out single to left by Dan Uggla in the second - and is flashing both a mid-90s fastball with movement and a slider that darts out of the strike zone. He's fanned four, using heat to get two swing-and-miss third strikes and enticing a pair of Braves to flail at the slider as a putaway pitch.

He's thrown 39 pitches, 29 for strikes. Keep an eye on how deep Zimmermann can go - or will be allowed to go - unless he gets a really pitch-efficient inning in short order.

The Nationals aren't having much success against Braves. Jayson Werth singled with two down in the first and was stranded. Bryce Harper singled to left with one out in the second, but broke for second when the Braves pitched out and was caught in a rundown. Ian Desmond followed with an infield hit.

We're scoreless heading to the fourth at Nationals Park.

Update: There are still no runs, but Zimmermann is pumping up the strikeout count. After allowing a leadoff singe to Freddie Freeman in the fourth, he fanned the next three hitters in order. Chris Johnson and Justin Upton went down swinging and Uggla was caught looking. That's seven strikeouts through four innings for the right-hander.

Update II: Evan Gattis led off the fifth by hitting ZimmermanN's second pitch, a 92 mph fastball, over the wall in left for a 1-0 lead. Zimmermann is at 82 pitches through five innings, but there's no stirring in the Nats bullpen.