Gonzalez (10-7) struck out 10 while blanking the Braves over six innings in Saturday's 8-2 victory. He surrendered two hits and walked four.

EDGE Analysis

Gonzalez came out after throwing 106 pitches over those six frames, with his spotty control being the main culprit in that elevated count. He has now surrendered at least one free pass in all but two of his 26 starts this season, but the veteran right-hander has managed to offset his propensity for putting men on base with a minuscule 0.43 HR/9 rate. Saturday's strong effort included his season high in strikeouts and was badly needed by Gonzalez, who had scuffled through a 1-3 August in which he'd amassed a bloated 5.46 ERA. The 29-year-old will continue to be counted on as a key part of the starting rotation as the Nationals make a September push for the NL East crown.