Turnaround story: Jason Marquis

May 2, 2011 (Monday)

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Washington Nationals P Jason Marquis continued his remarkable turnaround Friday (4/29/2011) with a complete-game shutout against the San Francisco Giants.

It was a win to savor:

Marquis, 32, gave up no walks and just 5 hits while striking out 7 batters.
The 3-0 victory came against two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
It was Marquis’ first shutout since June 30, 2009, and only the 4th of his 12-year MLB career.

For the season, Marquis is 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA — tops among Nationals starters — and 24 strikeouts. The right-hander has walked just 5 batters in 34-and-1/3 innings, good enough to rank Marquis 3rd in the American League in walks-per-9-innings (1.3) and 4th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.8).

It’s hard to believe this is the same pitcher who went 2-9 last year with a 6.60 ERA, 31 strikeouts, and 24 walks. Marquis spent nearly 4 months on the disabled list in 2010 after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. But the injury didn’t stop Nationals fans from complaining that the team had wasted money when it signed him to a two-year, $15-million deal after the 2009 season.

If anything, Marquis appears to have come back even stronger from the surgery. The Manhasset, N.Y., native’s career ERA is 4.52, and his career low (3.48) came with the Atlanta Braves, in 2001.

Marquis told MLB.com he wasn’t focused on Lincecum during Friday’s game:

I never worry about the opposing pitcher other than when I step in the box. It doesn’t matter if it’s Cy Young or the fifth starter on any team; you still have to make pitches to keep your team in the game. I have to be on top of my game and not worry about what anybody else is doing.

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