Zimmermann is Nats' third ace

On a team with All-Stars Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez combining for 22 wins, Washington Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann can get overlooked. Maybe not as flashy as his rotation counterparts, Zimmermann has been more consistent.

Manager Davey Johnson believes Zimmermann is a No. 1 starter, but Johnson doesn't need to go around telling anyone else how good the Wisconsin native can be.

"I don't mind if it's a well-kept secret," Johnson said of Zimmermann, who is 7-6 with a 2.35 ERA. "He is a heck of a pitcher."

Zimmermann quietly fired six shutout innings Wednesday, allowing only four hits and striking out four while earning his fourth consecutive victory. The Nationals took a second consecutive win against the New York Mets, prevailing 4-3.

"It felt great all night," Zimmermann said. "I had a good curveball and a good slider. When I have those two, like I have had in my previous starts, it is a lot of fun to go out there and pitch."

Johnson said, "Zimm was outstanding. He continues to go out there and put zeros up. He has pitched well enough to be 12-2. That was big for the team, big for him."

For Zimmermann, it's all about quality and quantity. With another consistent outing, Zimmermann has now pitched 19 consecutive games of at least six innings. In his past five starts, he is 4-0 with a 0.84 ERA.

His performance has to be encouraging for Strasburg, who is on the same innings limit (160 to 170) that Zimmermann faced last season. And now in 2012, Zimmermann seems to be gaining strength with each start instead of tailing away.

"I want to finish the season strong, not just the first half," Zimmermann said. "That is a big thing for me. So far, so good. I just want to get stronger as the season goes on."