The only thing more noticeable about Cristian Guzman than his performance at the plate these days is the everpresent smile on his face.
The Washington Nationals shortstop has good reason to be happy. He’s finally playing the way both he and the team envisioned he would when he signed a four-year, $16.8 million contract in November 2004.
The terms of that contract have been recited over and over in the 3½ years, and rarely over that time has Guzman looked worth the money. But perhaps he is living up to it now, leading the Nationals with a .303 average and enjoying performances like the one he authored yesterday during Washington’s 9-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Guzman went 4-for-5 and homered in the first to put the Nationals ahead. He cleared the bases with a double in the sixth after the Pirates had rallied to tie the game. And he matched a career-high with six RBI.
Which explained the smile on the 30-year-old’s face.
“When you’ve got a season like that, you’ve got to be happy,” he said.
Guzman was asked the last time he felt this good.
“A long time ago,” he said laughing.
Not even last season, when he enjoyed a breakthrough six-week stretch that pushed his batting average to .328?
“This year’s different,” he said. “Because last year I was a little bit hurt, and this year I’m healthy and I feel great.”
Indeed, the key to Guzman’s success might well be as simple as the fact he’s 100 percent healthy for the first time since coming to the District. A nagging shoulder injury, which turned out to be a torn labrum, contributed greatly to his abysmal 2005, when he needed a big September push just to raise his average to .219.
He missed all of 2006 after having surgery to repair that tear. And though he was successful for a spurt last season, he missed time early with a strained hamstring and later with a torn thumb ligament.
Combined with the laser eye surgery he had before the 2006 season, Guzman is physically as sound as he has been in years.
“He’s healthy,” manager Manny Acta said. “You guys can tell. Having that [laser] surgery a couple years ago — he’s making better contact and really enjoying the game. I think when you’re healthy, that’s what happens.”
The Nationals needed everything Guzman had yesterday to win what turned into a battle of attrition. Despite jumping out to a 5-1 lead after two innings, Washington gave it all back.
Coming off three straight poor outings but staked to a nice early lead for a change, left-hander Matt Chico couldn’t take advantage. He allowed five runs (four earned) in 41/3 innings, ultimately getting knocked out following four straight hits in the fifth.
“I really thought that we were going to have it easier,” Acta said. “But that’s baseball.”
Fortunately for Acta, Guzman picked his team up in the sixth.
After Pittsburgh right fielder Xavier Nady lost Felipe Lopez’s fly ball in the sun, Guzman strode to the plate with the bases loaded and drove reliever Franquelis Osoria’s first pitch it to the right-center gap. All three runners scored and Guzman cruised into second base, driving in six runs for the first time since June 24, 2001.
And yet the Nationals’ eighth win in 11 games still wasn’t secure. Up four, relievers Saul Rivera and Luis Ayala let the Pirates get back within a run. And closer Jon Rauch nearly let them come back and tie it in the ninth, walking Ronny Paulino with one out and then watching as pinch-runner Nyjer Morgan stole second.
Rauch got Ryan Doumit to fly out, then Guzman made his final contribution of the afternoon. Shading toward second base both to keep the speedy Morgan close and because Pittsburgh’s Nate McLouth tends to pull the ball, Guzman wound up in perfect position to scoop McLouth’s hard grounder up the middle and fire to first for the final out of the game.
Just one last key contribution for a guy who is finally making a difference for the Nationals.
“He’s helping the team,” Lopez said. “Any time you get a guy like that, healthy and back to where he can be, it’s awesome.”
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