ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It was just about a year ago when the Los Angeles Angels made a trade for Alex Meyer, a 6-foot-9 power pitcher with loads of potential but just as many question marks.

A 97 mph fastball is only so good when a pitcher doesn't know where it's going.

The challenge for the Angels has been to find a way to get Meyer to manage his mechanics in a way that would allow him to command his pitches. When he has been able to do that, he has been good. And when he hasn't, not so much.

Meyer put it all together on Wednesday night against the Washington Nationals, pitching the best game of his career in the Angels' 7-0 victory.

Meyer (4-5) went seven innings for the first time in the majors and allowed only one hit -- a two-out double by Brian Goodwin in the sixth inning. Meyer struck out seven and walked only one while keeping his pitch count to a reasonable 88, 52 of which were strikes.

Even more impressive was that he did it against the Nationals, the best hitting team in the National League, though they were playing without Bryce Harper, who got a day off for rest.

"He's a guy we've never seen before," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of Meyer. "He had a good fastball, 96-97 (mph), and he had us fishing for his breaking ball. He was effectively wild tonight. He had us looking for one thing, and he'd throw something else."

Meyer's potential is no secret to the rest of the league either. In a game last month, Meyer struck out New York Yankees star Aaron Judge twice, and after the game, Judge was quick to compliment the right-hander.

"I've seen him in the minor leagues," Judge said. "He's a great guy, electric stuff as well. A fastball with good two-seam action and a wipeout slider. A guy like that you have to focus on location or pick out a pitch and stick to it. He's good, really good."

For Meyer, it's about limiting damage during those times he gets into trouble.

"With Alex, we've seen him start off where he struggles and all of a sudden finds it and gets through six (innings)," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Or we see him start off lighting it up and then all of a sudden hits a bump in the road. What we're experiencing is those bumps in the road aren't as high anymore. He'll be able to manage the game, and that's going to be a big part of his growth."

Meyer retired the first 14 batters Wednesday before he walked Anthony Rendon with two outs in the fifth. Goodwin doubled down the right field line with two outs in the sixth for the Nationals' only hit of the game.

"I went to breakfast with (Goodwin) this morning and paid for it, so I'll have to talk to him about that," joked Meyer, 27, who originally was drafted by the Nationals in the first round in 2011 and was minor league teammates with Goodwin and others on the club.

Meyer, acquired last Aug. 1 from the Minnesota Twins along with Ricky Nolasco for pitcher Hector Santiago, got help Wednesday from the Angels' offense, which put together a big night against Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez (8-5).

Gonzalez, who is having a good season himself, gave up four runs, five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.

C.J. Cron had one of the hits off Gonzalez, a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

"He was wild high, and just barely outside the zone," Baker said of Gonzalez. "But when you get shut out, you don't really have a chance. We really didn't have much of a chance tonight."

Los Angeles' Mike Trout hit a two-run homer, his 18th homer of the season, in the seventh inning off reliever Joe Blanton.

Cron, Yunel Escobar and Cliff Pennington each had two hits for the Angels, who ended the Nationals' winning streak at six games.

David Hernandez (eighth inning) and Jose Alvarez (ninth) each threw an inning in relief of Meyer to complete the one-hit shutout.

The Angels also had good defense behind Meyer. Shane Robinson, just called up Wednesday and starting in place of regular right fielder Kole Calhoun, made a diving catch of Daniel Murphy's liner in the first inning.

Los Angeles shortstop Andrelton Simmons ranged deep into the hole to field a grounder by Ryan Zimmerman and made an accurate, leaping throw to first for the out in the seventh.

NOTES: Nationals RF Bryce Harper did not plauy, getting a day off for rest. Manager Dusty Baker initially wanted to give his position players who were on the All-Star team a day off in the first series after the break, and 1B Ryan Zimmerman and 2B Daniel Murphy each got a day off when the club opened the second half in Cincinnati. Harper, though, asked that the day off come when the club was in Anaheim so he could spend time with family, which traveled from Harper's hometown of Las Vegas to visit him. OF Chris Heisey started in right field in Harper's place. ... Angels OF Cameron Maybin was placed on the 10-disabled list because of a sprained ligament in his right knee. Maybin, who injured the knee sliding into second base on a steal attempt in the first inning Tuesday, is expected to miss two to four weeks. The Angels called up OF Shane Robinson from Triple-A Salt Lake to take Maybin's roster spot.