Game 2 of the NLDS will open at Busch Stadium at 3:30 p.m. CT, and Jordan Zimmermann will be taking the mound for the Washington Nationals.
In his second full season with the Nationals, Zimmerman blossomed into a fine starting candidate, though not as solid as their Cy Young candidate Gio Gonzalez. After going 8-11 with a 3.18 ERA in 2011, the now 26-year-old pushed his numbers up across the board for 2012. The result was a 12-8 season with a 2.94 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 32 games pitched, helping the Nationals stay just as solid in the middle of their rotation as they were at the top on their way to the postseason.
This will be Zimmerman's first ever postseason start.
Zimmerman, though starting Game 2 of the NLDS, is only the third best pitcher they could have had available ahead of the Cardinals series. They shut down their ace youngster Stephen Strasburg prior to the regular season ending.