Gonzalez's confidence made it tough on Cardinals' approach

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez has something going after his first two starts. He earned his first win Tuesday in an 8-3 Nationals defeat of the Cardinals.

Gonzalez went seven innings and allowed only two runs (one earned), scattering six hits, walking none and striking out six for back-to-back quality starts to begin 2017.

Combined this season, he has pitched 13 innings, allowing only one earned run on 13 hits. But the most important number on his stat line to begin the season? He has surrendered only one walk, which was intentional.

Gonzalez is using his pinpoint control, getting ahead of hitters and consistent tempo. Catcher Matt Wieters has guided him through these first two starts and the normal roadblocks that could slow a Gonzalez start down are not materializing.

Daniel Murphy, who contributed a career high-tying four hits and five RBIs, noticed the chemistry he saw from Gonzalez and Wieters each inning.

"It looked like Gio and Matt behind the plate were really on the same page (last night)," Murphy said. "There wasn't a whole lot of shaking going on. I thought he doubled up when he needed to double up. He really had real good feel for the changeup and the two breaking balls, which is like the get-ahead breaking ball and the kill breaking ball, the put-away pitch in the dirt.

Manager Dusty Baker believes Gonzalez's turned-up tempo is helping him move through each batter and not get bogged down. Even an early 1-0 deficit or a St. Louis comeback to tie the game at 2-2 didn't distract Gonzalez.

From the fourth inning on, following a Randal Grichuk solo homer and José Martínez single, Gonzalez retired 11 consecutive hitters.

"Your pace is usually pretty good when you're feeling confident that you can throw every pitch," Baker said. "And Gio's had a little trouble in the past with the shutdown inning after we scored, and he gave up the one and then didn't give up any more and he shut 'em down the rest of the way."

Gonzalez agreed. He believes he can get guys out with any one of his pitches and is not afraid to throw them in any count.

"Trying to use all my pitches," Gonzalez said. "That's exactly what it was in spring training, just trying to work on what we wanted to work on, in the bullpen, with certain hitters in the game, stuff like that. It's a pitch that could work in my favor. Don't need to overexpose it, but when I need, it's a good pitch to use."

Murphy, who knows well from a batter's perspective how he tries to prevent a pitcher from manipulating his at-bats, said Gonzalez was willing to go back to what works more than once.

Four-seam fastball, curveball and then the two-seam fastball.

"He wasn't afraid to throw the same pitch a couple times in a row," Murphy said. "He just did it on his terms. Fun to watch. That's two great starts in a row. Pitching staff is doing a great job giving us a chance to win. I thought Gio was really good against a very, very tough lineup over there. They threw a lot of righties at him (last night), and it was a tough lineup to navigate."