Gonzalez proving to be Nationals' other ace
Stephen Strasburg is the pitcher so many people think of when looking at the Washington Nationals this season. His success has brought so much attention that it has partially overshadowed the work of left-hander Gio Gonzalez.
Gonzalez deserves to be in the spotlight, too, because he won his 18th game Wednesday night, tying R.A. Dickey for the major league lead in victories. The left-hander improved to 18-7 in the 9-1 rout of the Cubs in Washington.
The Nationals obtained Gonzalez in an offseason deal with the A's, and that proved to be a crucial move. Gonzalez and Strasburg are two of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.
There's no question that Gonzalez's name will be in the Cy Young discussion this season, especially if he can win 20 games. But he wasn't all that interested in talking about that after Wednesday's game.
"It's an honor, but at the same time, my eyes are on something else," Gonzalez said. "I want to continue to win for this team. We're playing such great baseball (that) it's selfish of me to think for myself."
The Nationals are going to need Gonzalez even more after Strasburg gets shut down.
Gonzalez will likely step up to be the No. 1 pitcher in the rotation in the postseason. The Nationals hope he can continue the way he's pitched throughout the season.
If so, that should take reduce some of the pain from losing Strasburg.
