After shaky Game 1, Gio Gonzalez looks sharp in Game 5

You might recall that Gonzalez, the Nationals' ace starting pitcher, started Game 1 of this series and issued seven walks in five innings. This was particularly notable because Gonzalez had started 32 games during the regular season, and never walked more than five batters in a game.

Gonzalez (and the Nationals) were fortunate, though; he gave up just one hit and two runs, and ultimately the Nationals beat the Cardinals 3-2. Gonzalez started that game after nine days of rest, and rustiness was the easy explanation for his bizarre lack of control.

Well, he's looking a lot better in Game 5. After a bit of a rough beginning in the first inning -- a line-out followed by a single -- Gonzalez set down three straight Cardinals. And in the second, he worked around David Freese's one-out single, with the frame ending when Freese tried the rare delayed steal and was out from here to Timbuktu.