Gio Gonzalez says his arm feels “fantastic” after Saturday’s game against Miami

VIERA, Fla. — This will be the only time Washington Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez has a 7.71 ERA and touts how great everything is.

That’s Gonzalez’s bloated spring ERA after his first two outings. Gonzalez allowed four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings Saturday afternoon against the Miami Marlins, who were minus crusher Giancarlo Stanton. Two of the runs resulted from three consecutive hits to start his outing. He settled off after that.

Most important, Gonzalez said he feels tremendous.

“Strength of the arm feels great,” Gonzalez said. “Body feels great. Composure, just excitement, all in all, I feel like I was back in 2012, just having fun, smiling.”

Gonzalez threw 158 2/3 innings last year, his fewest since 2009 in Oakland, because of shoulder inflammation last May which put him on the 15-day disabled list. He went just more than a month in between starts for the Nationals.

Saturday, Gonzalez said he “tried to do the Jump Man logo” when leaping for a wayward throw home from Bryce Harper and tweaked his knee. That immediately brought injury weary and wary Nationals manager Matt Williams out of the dugout to check on Gonzalez. After a couple practice pitches, he remained in the game.

“Just a little burn in the knee, felt fine the next pitch,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez tends to throw a lot of pitches, even in good outings. He said that’s the way he has been and it works for him. He’s not going to change to worry about pitch-count conservation. Gonzalez, a two-time all-star, has a career 3.59 ERA.

“I think it comes with the package,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, the same style of pitching. You’re going to get one or two walks, or you’re going to get no walks. That’s the way baseball is. Some hitters are going to be very patient, some are going to be very aggressive. You’re not going to tell a hitter that hits 30 bombs, hey, slow down because you’re hitting too many.

“It’s the same thing as a pitcher. You’re not going to tell him to stop what you’re doing if you’re getting outs.”

A 2012 version of Gonzalez would be a staggering supplement to the Nationals’ vaunted rotation, especially as the lone left-hander. That season, Gonzalez finished third in Cy Young voting. His 2.89 ERA was a career low and his 207 strikeouts were a career high.