Myers finally gets his complete game, shuts out Nationals

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Two starts ago, Brett Myers publicly displayed his dismay with being taken out of a game he thought he could finish himself. Tonight, Myers got his chance to complete a game as he struck out nine Nationals in a 4-0 Phillies win. It was his first complete game of the season, and his first since September 20th, 2006.

Myers didn't dominate the game but fought his way through several jams. He gave up nine hits and wasn't helped by some terrible defensive plays, including a bad misplay by Pat Burrell. Burrell gets a pass, though, for throwing out Ryan Zimmerman at home in the first inning. I think we can officially call Brett Myers back now, considering he hasn't given up more than 3 earned runs in any start since he came back to the big leagues on July 23rd. By my calculations, Myers has a 1.94 ERA (9 earned runs in 41 and 2/3rds innings) since his return, showing that he is rounding back into the form of an Opening Day starter.

Offensively, the Phillies didn't get much, but they didn't need much. Greg Dobbs homered and Chris Coste had a pair of singles and a pair of runs. Jimmy Rollins had a rare caught stealing, his second of the season, as he over-slid at second base and got tagged out.

The Nationals have lost 12 games in a row, and the Phillies will look to push them to 13 straight tomorrow night. The 4 game set with the Nationals starts Friday, so the Phils better pad their record while they can.