Zimmermann, Storen featured in Nats' stellar pitching attack against Mets

All the hype coming into this pivotal series seemed to focus on the pitching arsenal the Mets were prepared to throw at the Nationals. Three days later, the Nats starters stood up to the test. Gio Gonzalez outpitched Matt Harvey on Monday to claim the win. Last night, Joe Ross took a 2-1 lead over Jacob deGrom and the Mets into the seventh before the Nationals bullpen tanked. And tonight it was Jordan Zimmermann, who outlasted rookie sensation Noah Syndergaard.

"It was big," Zimmermann said after the Nats' 4-3 comeback win. "They got their big three going against us and for us to win two out of three was definitely big. We're gonna see them in a couple series up at their place and hopefully win two more."

Zimmermann turned in seven solid innings, only hitting a rough patch in the third where he gave up all three Mets runs. Once again, the right-hander's command and control was superb as he didn't walk a batter for the seventh time in his 20 starts while striking out six.

Left-hander Matt Thornton breezed through the eighth, allowing the Nats the opportunity they didn't have the night before to make the comeback.

When Michael A. Taylor drilled the two-out two-run single to tie it, closer Drew Storen hurried to get ready in the bullpen.

"That was cool," Storen said. "I'm warming up there for the tie. Then we got the extra one, so it was big and obviously the excitement of the crowd helps, too. That was a lot of fun."

Danny Espinosa's double scored Taylor for the eventual game-winning run as Storen struck out the side in the ninth for his 29th save. It was the 27-year-old's best outing this month after allowing six base runners in his last four appearances.

"We weren't sitting around going 'oh no, here we go,'" Storen said. "We just went out and grinded and really played our game. It doesn't have to be pretty. If we can pull two out of the series with those (Mets) starters, that says a lot about our team."

The road doesn't get any easier for the Nationals as they head to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates, who hold the National League's second-best record at 54-39. The Nats are expected to face veteran lefty Francisco Liriano in the series opener tomorrow and two of the best right-handers in the NL, A.J. Burnett and Gerrit Cole, over the weekend.

"People are throwing their best punches at us right now and we don't necessarily have the ideal lineup out there, but thing is, guys are getting the job done," Storen said. "And that's where it comes down to in this game. You can't sit around feeling sorry for yourself and hope for guys to come back and be healthy. It's about getting it done today and we're doing that."

There may be over two months remaining in the season, but Zimmermann knows the importance of maintaining momentum over the Mets in the NL East.

"Lose two to these guys and it's a little different clubhouse right now," Zimmermann said. "To end the series like we did, that's our goal coming into every series. We were able to do that and we're feeling good going to Pittsburgh."