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Zimmermann hopes to help Nats avoid 0-2 NLDS hole versus Giants

Oct 4, 2014 - 4:36 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Nobody had a better end to the regular season than Washington Nationals righty Jordan Zimmermann.

Zimmermann takes the hill for the first time since his no-hitter on Saturday and will try to help the Nationals even the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants in Game 2 at Nationals Park.

The 28-year-old right-hander capped a terrific second half of the season by not allowing a hit against the Miami Marlins on the final day of the regular season. A 19-game winner a year ago, Zimmermann was 8-0 in the second half of the year with a 2.18 ERA in 13 starts.

"The secret to his success is what he showed on the final game of the season," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "That's balls in the strike zone, pound the zone, work quickly, get us back in the dugout."

Overall he was 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA.

Zimmermann has faced the Giants eight times and is 5-2 with a 2.79 ERA. He was pounded in his only other NLDS start back in 2012, as the St. Louis Cardinals reached him for five runs in three innings.

"It is exciting going out there, for sure," Zimmermann said. "The fans are going crazy and get you all amped up, and it was a fun moment. Hopefully, we have a bunch more of those coming up."

Zimmermann will have his work cut out for him on Saturday against a Giants team that has now won nine straight postseason games.

San Francisco drew first blood in this best-of-five set on Friday, as Jake Peavy picked up his first career postseason win and the Giants held on for a 3-2 triumph.

Peavy (1-0) had a solid outing, scattering two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Joe Panik each knocked in a run for the Giants, who were coming off Wednesday's 8-0 wild-card victory at Pittsburgh.

San Francisco has now won 13 of its last 16 postseason games and 23 of its last 31.

"They have been through it. They have a calmness about them. When you have your back as many times against the wall as you can in the postseason, that experience is invaluable," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said about his team's run of postseason success.

Pablo Sandoval also extended his postseason hitting streak to 12 games with a fourth-inning single.

Stephen Strasburg (0-1) gave up two runs in his postseason debut -- one earned -- on eight singles in five-plus innings for the NL East-champion Nationals.

"We couldn't get it done today. We have another one tomorrow," said Williams.

San Francisco will hand the ball to veteran righty Tim Hudson in Game 2.

"You have to like his experience," Bochy said. "He's such a pro in how he goes about his business, how he prepares. I think his biggest issue was that his hip was bothering him. I think he's over that."

Hudson has gotten worse as the season has gone on and was terrible in the second half, going just 2-7 with a 4.73 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He's pitched to a 3.46 ERA in 10 games (9 starts) in the playoffs, but hasn't been there since 2010.

The 39-year-old has dominated the Nats over the course of his career, though, going 17-5 with a 2.39 ERA in 30 career starts against them since the franchise moved from Montreal in 2005. He's also 4-0 with an 0.80 mark in five meetings over the past two seasons.

"For me, it is no secret what they are about," Hudson said. "It is no secret to them what I am about. It is going out there and coming up with a good game plan, trying to watch a lot of videos, seeing what their strengths and weaknesses are at this point in the year and coming up with a good game plan. Familiarity can never be a bad thing for a pitcher. I feel the more history you have against a team, the more history you have against hitters, the better off you can be."

The Nats had their way with the Giants in the regular season, taking five out of seven games.