Healthy Zimmerman connecting early with solo home run

First baseman Ryan Zimmerman delivered a big time solo homer early in Wednesday's game, when not much was going right for the Nationals offense, already trailing 2-0 to the Marlins.

Miami starter Dan Straily had recorded four consecutive outs to begin the game. But with one out in the second inning, Zimmerman lined a solo shot over the right-center field fence to get the Nationals rolling.

The Nats would go on to score five more runs, highlighted by a four-run fourth inning, in a 6-4 comeback win over the Marlins. Zimmerman walked and scored another run in that four-run rally that put the Nationals on top for good.

But back to the home run.

Down 1-2 in the count with one out, Zimmerman reached out in the zone and laced the Straily fastball on a rope just over the right-center field wall. It was a homer reminiscent of when Zimmerman's swing is on, as it had been in spring training.

"He's healthy. He feels good," said manager Dusty Baker. "You see his confidence growing daily. He hit a tough pitch out to right field. That's a good sign, especially this early in the year when that ball's not flying out there too much until it warms up. Anything he gives us is big, especially in the middle of that lineup. He's getting better every day."

"I feel good obviously," Zimmerman said. "For me it's about staying healthy, staying on the field and getting my work in on a daily basis. I feel like if I can do that, I can still put up the numbers that I should put up."

Zimmerman's left arm is completely extended on impact. Did the back spin that was created factor into his ability to loft the ball enough for the homer?

"Whatever those guys wanna say, whatever makes them have their job and whatever the computer says that's never played baseball," Zimmerman smirked. "They can use whatever they want. Sure, yeah."

Zimmerman has never been one to analytically break down his swing. But what he does know is not having to worry about nagging injuries allows his offense to return to where he feels good about his swing in each at-bat.

"The last few years have been frustrating (by) not consistently being able to stay on the field," Zimmerman said. "This game's hard enough, when you can't play every day or you have to take a month off here, two, three weeks off here, it's hard to get into a rhythm. For me, it's just staying on the field being able to do everything I do each day. I still have confidence that I'm able to do what I'm supposed to do.

"To continually have things happen, whether its oblique or hamstring, it'd be different if I didn't work or didn't do things. But it's frustrating when you do put the work in and you still get banged up all the time. It's just about staying on the field and keeping consistent and I feel like if I can do that, then I'm still able to do what I should be able to do."

That has translated to a 3-for-7 (.429) start with a home run, RBI and a walk. It's only two games, but when healthy, Zimmerman can reach out and get to pitches he might not have connected with last season when he was less than 100 percent.