With each quality start, Gonzalez strengthening All-Star case

MIAMI - Gio Gonzalez wasn't shy about admitting his goal for 2017 from the moment he arrived in West Palm Beach four months ago, walked into Dusty Baker's office and explicitly told it to his manager.

"I told Dusty that was a big goal in what I want to do this year: to focus and compete at a high level and try to make the All-Star team," Gonzalez said way back in late February. "Right now, I just want to snap out of this little funk I'm in. I want to get back to where I belong. I really want to do something this year."

Fifteen starts in, the veteran left-hander is really doing something. And with fewer than two weeks to go until rosters are revealed, he is making an awfully strong case to return to his hometown and pitch for the National League.

Tonight's performance in a 12-3 victory over the Marlins was merely the latest in a season full of strong outings by Gonzalez. He went seven innings, allowing three runs and striking out eight, minimizing damage against a potent Miami lineup.

And thanks to a whole lot of run support from his teammates, Gonzalez walked away with a 7-1 record, a 2.96 ERA and yet another statement made.

"We've got a couple more games to go, and you want to tack on a couple more victories," Baker said when asked about Gonzalez's All-Star candidacy. "I don't know when they come up with the selection. But we've got a ways to go. You've just got to keep pitching. Gio is throwing the ball great."

He's throwing the ball as well as almost anybody else in the NL.

Gonzalez's 2.96 ERA ranks seventh in the league. His seven wins are tied for seventh. His 94 1/3 innings pitched rank fourth. And his 11 quality starts (in 15 total outings) are only one shy of the league leaders (Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Ivan Nova).

Despite his willingness to publicly state his goal back in spring training, Gonzalez is understandably trying to downplay any talk of the Midsummer Classic right now.

"I think it's still early for me," he said. "It's not official until it's official. The way I'm seeing it is: I'm going to keep pitching until Dusty takes the ball out of my hand, and then we'll go from there. But all that is not up to me."

Gonzalez has been an elite pitcher before. He was an All-Star with the Athletics in 2011. And he made a return trip in 2012 with the Nationals, ultimately winning 21 games and finishing third in Cy Young Award voting.

But the last four years saw Gonzalez endure through a slow, steady decline, bottoming out last season when his ERA jumped to 4.57 (worst since he became a regular big leaguer). The difference this year? He has found a way to minimize damage, long one of his biggest bugaboos.

Last season, opponents hit a whopping .333 with a .913 OPS when facing Gonzalez with runners in scoring position. This season, they're hitting a paltry .107 with a .362 OPS with runners in scoring position.

Gonzalez credits his teammates for helping guide him through those jams, settling him down during mound visits and not letting him fret over tough at-bats.

"There's so much credit I want to give to a lot of our guys," he said. "I've had plenty of help from our infield. (Daniel) Murphy has done a great job, big help. When the game speeds up, he slows it down for me. And the same thing with (Ryan Zimmerman) and the rest of the guys."

At 31, in his 10th major league season, Gonzalez is proving you can make significant improvements.

"A lot of times, that's when you learn it," Baker said. "If you come in here in the big leagues and learn how to get out of jams, you're going to be a big winner. Especially left-handers seem to learn it later than right-handers. That's why they usually stick around longer. ... The key is to have the presence of mind and coolness to get out of it."

Gonzalez has been plenty cool all season. And because of it, he may just earn a bonus trip home to Miami in a couple of weeks, part of what figures to be a sizeable contingent of Nationals All-Stars.

"There's so many options here," he said. "We've got a great rotation, great guys, great lineup, defense. It's tough. It's a tough pick, especially on this ballclub right now."