Gonzalez locking in as postseason approaches

MIAMI - Last night, pitching in his hometown for just the second time in his career, and first time since 2012, Gio Gonzalez kept the ball rolling in the right direction. The Nationals left-hander twirled seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked none, marking the second time in a three-start span that he hasn't issued a base-on-balls. Prior to this three-start stretch, he hadn't had a walk-free start all season. Over his last six starts, Gonzalez has a 2.79 ERA. He feels his overall season totals (a 9-10 record and 3.74 ERA) aren't indicative of how he's pitched, but lately, he's been really strong. And with the postseason coming around the corner, Gonzalez picked a good time to get hot. "It seems like he's kind of controlling his emotions a little bit out there," Ian Desmond said. "He's kind of staying under control. He's quickly adjusting. If he throws a fastball up, or if his arm drops down or whatever, he's identifying it, making the adjustment and correcting it. Early on, I think he just got a little concerned with some other stuff and maybe lost a little focus. But he looks good, and today was a huge step for him. "I think we all kind of go through (down stretches) as players. Whether you're going good or bad, you've just got to find home. Not necessarily pitching in Miami for the first time in two years. But you just have to figure out who you are and remember who you are. It seems like he's done a good job with that. It's going to be an important time for him, getting things going again going into the postseason." There was a time when some fans and analysts wondered whether Gonzalez, a 21-game winner in 2012, was a lock for the Nats' postseason rotation. After his first start in August, when he allowed four runs over six innings in a loss to the Mets, Gonzalez's ERA topped 4.00, and he went through a stretch where he lost four straight starts. But he's found a way to turn things around since then. His fastball velocity has improved, with his heater sitting at 93-94 mph, as compared to 91-92, like it was throughout June and July. His offspeed pitches have been sharper, and he's been able to throw his curveball for a strike more frequently early in the count. His arm slot has been higher on a more consistent basis - key to solid mechanics and good command. He's been the Gio Gonzalez that he knows and the Nationals know. It just took a little bit to get back to that guy after a month-long stint on the DL due to left shoulder inflammation. Gonzalez has talked over the last few weeks about how working back from the DL has been a process. It was the first time he missed time due to injury in his career, and he needed to find a feel for things after coming back in mid-June. And it seems recently that he has. "There's still more work to be done," Gonzalez said. "Obviously it's still going to be a work in progress. You're content, maybe, those numbers are happy for someone else. But for me, I want to keep getting better."