t is not entirely without truth. But while Buttler found batting a

WASHINGTON -- Jordan Zimmermann is staying away from any discussion about whether he should be part of the NL All-Star team, let alone the starting pitcher. Thats fine. His numbers are doing the talking for him. Zimmermann dominated after a shaky start and rookie Anthony Rendon had his third three-hit performance as the Washington Nationals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Wednesday night. After surrendering two runs in the first inning, Zimmermann (11-3) held the Diamondbacks scoreless with one hit over his final six innings. He allowed three hits overall, retired the final 10 batters he faced and improved to 13-0 at home dating back to May 17, 2012. The right-hander is tied for the major league lead in wins with Detroits Max Scherzer. In 16 starts, Zimmermann sports a 2.28 ERA. "It means a lot," Zimmermann said about notching his 11th victory. "These guys have given me great run support all year. Im pitching pretty well, too." The NL West-leading Diamondbacks have lost three straight, including the first two games of their current 10-game road trip. Wade Miley (4-7) allowed three runs, including an unearned run in the fifth. Denard Span scored on Ryan Zimmermans double play after Tyler Moores solo homer in the fourth tied the game. Zimmermann struck out four and issued two walks, raising his season total of base on balls to a minuscule 17 in 114 2-3 innings. Arizonas only hit against the Nationals starter after the first inning was Jason Kubels two-out single in the fourth. "He got rolling," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "Got all of his pitches over, put them where he wanted to. We had some borderline balls that we swung at when he got ahead." Tyler Clippard worked the eighth and Rafael Soriano closed out the ninth for his 21st save. Soriano allowed a one-out single and issued an intentional walk, but A.J. Pollocks popup ended the game. The Diamondbacks worked Zimmermann hard early, forcing him to throw 28 pitches in the first inning. "I just didnt feel very good in the first couple of innings," said Zimmermann, who has made 20 starts since his last home loss. "I knew I had to have some quick innings. After that and I was able to get a few and get it back to manageable pitches and go seven." As for possibly playing in the midsummer classic on July 16, Zimmermann said, "Im not thinking about that until it comes out and then Ill talk to you guys about it." Rendon had two singles and double in his first three at-bats before a flyout to the wall in the eighth inning. Since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on June 4, he has multihit performances in 10 of 18 games and is batting .392 (29 for 74). Groomed as a third baseman, Rendon is making the transition to second on the big league level, but its the batters box where he is most at-ease. "Thats where I feel the most comfortable," Rendon said. "Thats what Ive been doing my whole life. I like to hit." Miley pitched seven innings, allowing seven hits and one walk while striking out four. Arizona starting pitchers are 0-7 since June 5. "Felt good, got in a rhythm a little bit," said Miley, now 0-2 in his last four starts. "Made some mistakes early and they capitalized on it." Span singled off Miley leading off the fifth, advanced to second on a passed ball, moved to third on Rendons third hit and crossed home on Zimmermans double play. After picking up hits in his final three at-bats on Tuesday, Paul Goldschmidt doubled in his first plate appearance against Zimmermann, scoring Aaron Hill from first base after a walk. Martin Prados two-out single plated Goldschmidt and staked Miley to a 2-0 lead in the first before the crowd of 31,172. Zimmerman hit an RBI double in the bottom half. Washingtons third baseman returned to the starting lineup after sitting out Tuesdays series opening win due to discomfort in his surgically repaired right shoulder. NOTES: Playing in the second game of a rehab assignment at Single-A Potomac, Washington OF Bryce Harper went 1 for 3 with a home run. .... Entering as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, Diamondbacks INF Willie Bloomquist injured his left hand after getting hit on a pitch from Clippard. Gibson said the hand immediately swelled and that X-rays were taken after the game. ... Arizona fell to 17-11 in one-run games. ... Moore played in his first game since being activated from the DL on Tuesday. ... Nationals manager Davey Johnson said he hopes injured catcher Wilson Ramos (left hamstring) can return to the active roster by July 4. Ramos has been on the DL since April 14. ... Arizona LHP Patrick Corbin (9-0, 2.28) faces RHP Stephen Strasburg (4-6, 2.40) in Thursdays series finale. 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Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. Jos Buttler has credited a lack of first-class cricket as a crucial ingredient in his successful return to the Test team.Buttler made 76, his second highest Test score, to help England reach 400 in their first innings in Mumbai. It was an impressive contribution for a number of reasons, not least the restraint Buttler exhibited against testing bowling. It was also his first half-century in first-class cricket since May 2015.More pertinently, it was just his fifth first-class innings since he was dropped from the England Test team in the UAE in October 2015.But far from seeing that lack of red-ball cricket as a disadvantage, Buttler insisted it was a factor in his relative success.I dont feel like having not played first-class cricket mattered to me at all, Buttler said. Probably the best thing for me is having not played any red-ball cricket for a year and having some time to think about my game.We play so much cricket that sometimes there isnt enough time to think, break down your game and work out what is vital to get the best out of yourself. I feel like the last year Ive probably learned the most about myself and about cricket in my whole career.While Buttlers words clash with conventional wisdom - Alastair Cook described Buttlers lack of first-class cricket as clearly not ideal ahead of the Mohali Test - there appear to be a growing number of players arguing for the benefits of a fresh body and mind over the virtues of regular games. Certainly Eoin Morgan has previously said he felt twice the man for a months rest ahead of an ODI series - while Kevin Pietersen has often remarked that Englands cricketers are obliged to battle not only their opponents, but their own schedules.At the time Buttler was dropped from the Test side, he seemed confused and lacking in confidence. He had failed to reach 50 in his 12 most recent Test innings - he had not reached 10 on six of those occasions - and later admitted he was relieved to have been left out.I got to a stage where I was not concentrating and did not want to be there, Buttler told The Telegraph this time last year. It was a relief to get dropped. I was not enjoying walking out there and feeling like I didnt know where the next run was coming from.Crucial to Buttlers improvement now - and it does have to be said, these are early days in his recall and the returns, while pleasing, are relatively modest - has been a renewed belief in his own abilities. And while these havent been demonstrated in copious amounts - or even sparse amounts - of first-class runs (injury and white-ball commitments limited him to a single County Championship match in the 2016 season), they are real nevertheless.After all, Buttler is the scorer of the three quickest ODI centuries made by an England player. He has shown, in many T20 and List A situations, that he has a rare ability. Few doubt his talent.But, after a series of failures in Test cricket, he had begun to doubt himself. And without the time and space to reflect and then work on his game, he felt he was sinking deeper into the mire with every dismissal.Ive learned one of the big things you have to have, that the top players have, is belief in your own game, he said. You have to be confident that, when you get a chance, youre going to perform.Youre your own best coach. Theres plenty of people out there to speak to, but probably one of the things I was doing when I struggled was speaking to too many people. It is better bringing it back to a few close people you trust and to yourself.dddddddddddd No one can do it for you.You can receive great advice, but youve got to believe in yourself.Part of the reason for Buttlers limited appearances in first-class cricket in 2016 was a decision to appear in the IPL. While there still appears to be some controversy about such decisions in English cricket, Buttlers decision was fully supported by the ECB - indeed, they currently encourage players to gain experience in high-profile T20 leagues - on the basis of their increased prioritisation of white-ball cricket.If Buttler goes on to help England to that elusive global ODI trophy - and he may well - it may well be credited as a contributory factor. Anyway, had he not subsequently broken his thumb playing T20 cricket for Lancashire, he would still have been able to play several Championship matches.Besides, he feels the experience of representing Mumbai Indians in the IPL may have helped him deal with the conditions and the environment in Mumbai.It probably helps, having practised and played here, Buttler said. Having experienced IPL, you get used to the noise and chaos going on around you. You learn to deal with it and not get distracted. I think familiarity is good and definitely helps.Might there be a bit of contradiction there? After all, he argues that familiarity is good when it comes to batting in Mumbai, but freshness is best when it comes to building an innings against a red ball.It doesnt really matter. Just as Ben Ducketts success in the English domestic season didnt much matter when he came up against Ravi Ashwin and co. And just as Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hicks century of first-class centuries didnt matter when it came to Test cricket. Success in county cricket is no guarantee.All that matters is whether their method works in Test cricket. So while you would think that Buttler would benefit from more experience, while you would think he would benefit from learning how to build an innings - he has, after all, a modest first-class record (just four first-class centuries and an average of 32) - if he can demonstrate that his method works, he should be encouraged to embrace it.This was an impressive innings. While Parthiv Patels description of the early part of it as very lucky is somewhat graceless (and antagonistic), it is not entirely without truth. But while Buttler found batting a desperate struggle against the spinners on the first evening, he had the confidence and composure not to try and thrash his way out of trouble.While there were glimpses of the fine limited-overs player he has become - a few reverse-sweeps and one heave over mid-on for six - it was the less eye-catching skills that helped him here: his patience; his soft hands (not least when playing Jayant Yadav in front of leg slip when he had scored only 1), his ability to manoeuvre the ball and his maturity in dealing with the periods of pressure. Only once - in his 73 against New Zealand at Leeds in 2015 (his most recent half-century before this) - had he faced more deliveries in a Test innings.The game has changed. We live in an age where players reach centuries on debut with reverse-sweeps, where catches are routinely taken by fielders using the both sides of the boundary, where switch-hits and doosras have become part of the lexicon of the game. If Buttler wants to do things his way - and if it works - that should be just fine. ' ' '