WASHINGTON (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn endured a long road back.
Lynn, who missed the entire 2016 season after Tommy John surgery, returned by going 5 1/3 innings in his first start of the season last Thursday. He gave up five hits and two runs but did not figure in the decision as the Cardinals lost 6-4 to the Chicago Cubs.
He will make his second start of the season Tuesday in Washington as he faces veteran Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez.
“He is aggressive with his fastball,” Cardinals backup catcher Eric Fryer said of Lynn.
What does Fryer look for in pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery?
“Confidence on the mound, feeling good about what they are doing,” Fryer said Monday. “You can tell by body language.”
Lynn had a good chance to get a win in his first start, but the bullpen gave up a 4-1 lead against the Cubs.
The relief corps is also a concern for the Nationals, who watched Koda Glover give up a run in the last of the ninth on Sunday in Philadelphia as the Phillies won 4-3 on a walk-off single by Cesar Hernandez.
The Washington relievers also failed in the start by Gonzalez against the Miami Marlins on Thursday. Gonzalez didn’t take the mound until after a rain delay and then he didn’t return after a second rain delay that lasted more than one hour in the bottom of the sixth.
“These rain delays (stink). We did a scrappy job. They did a scrappy job,” Gonzalez said. “It was a good fight all of the way to the end.”
The Nationals’ bullpen gave up two runs in the eighth, one in the ninth and one in the 10th in a 4-3 loss.
New Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler has had amazing success against Gonzalez, hitting .500 in 20 at-bats.
St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina is hitting .353 in 17 at-bats against Gonzalez, while Matt Carpenter is at .125 in 16 trips to the plate.
Few of the Nationals have hit well against Lynn.
Washington second baseman Daniel Murphy, who hits well against nearly everyone, is hitting .375 in 16 trips against Lynn.
Lynn is 13-3 in the month of April over his career, tied for the fifth most April wins in the majors since 2012 even though he missed all of last season.
He is 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA in six games, with four starts, in his career against the Nationals. He has pitched four times in Washington and is 1-1 with two starts and two relief appearances.
Lynn will need a strong showing after his team was beaten 14-6 on Monday as the Nationals had 19 hits. The Cardinals are now 2-5, while Washington is 4-3.
“It’s a bad first week,” said St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright, the loser on Monday as he gave up 11 hits in four innings. “We’ve had a bad first week, and that’s really all you can say. Luckily we’ve got a lot more weeks coming up that we’re planning to play a lot of really good baseball.
“They hit a couple good curveballs. I made some pitches down. … It’s a tough lineup over there.”
Washington’s Bryce Harper had four hits and reached base all six times Monday.
“He is using the whole field. I hope he stays hot,” Washington manager Dusty Baker said.
