He looked lost on the mound at that point. His mechanics were flawed. His swagger was gone.

But since his four-start stint in the minors, Myers has looked more like the pitcher they hoped he could be.

He pitched a shutout last night in a 4-0 victory over the wretched Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.

It was the third shutout of Myers' career and his first since May 20, 2004, when he blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Myers' effort kept the Phillies 11/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the division.

The righthander is 3-1 with a 1.94 ERA in six starts since his return to the rotation after the all-star break. The only three pitchers in baseball with a minimum of 25 innings who have posted a better ERA since the break have been Milwaukee Brewers lefthander CC Sabathia (7-0 with a 1.40 ERA in seven starts), Randy Johnson (4-2 with a 1.56 ERA in six starts) and Brandon Webb (5-0 with a 1.76 ERA in six starts).

"It's a big acquisition that didn't have to happen" in a trade, centerfielder Shane Victorino said of Myers' return. "You didn't have to give up the farm system to go get a guy."

The victory improved Myers to 6-10 with a 4.71 ERA overall. His current six-start stretch is his best run since he was 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA in his final eight starts of 2006.

Myers was asked if he had been concerned about returning to peak form. "Shoot, I didn't really even think about it," he said. "That's the key. I wasn't really concentrating on, 'Oh, I have to pitch good today. If I don't . . .' I can't look at it that way. I just have to say, 'Whatever happens, happens.' "

The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the third and padded it to 4-0 in the fifth, thanks in part to a two-run home run from Greg Dobbs.

That gave Myers a little breathing room in the ninth, a scenario he had not experienced since the final game of last season, when he recorded the final out as the Phillies clinched the division title.

Myers said he had no flashbacks to that moment as he struck out Aaron Boone to end the game.

"I don't even know who I am out there," Myers said. "When I'm on the mound, I don't try to think too much about anything. I don't even know what my name is. All I try to do is concentrate on [Chris] Coste's mitt, and where I want to throw the pitch and what pitch I want to throw."

If it's a clear mind that has helped Myers' return, Phillies fans should pray he keeps it clear. The Phils need him.