Baker and Rizzo on Taylor, Espinosa, Gonzalez and more

Michael A. Taylor and Danny Espinosa have been very good on defense for the Nationals as the team has raced out to an 11-4 start.

Taylor is leading off and playing center field for the injured Ben Revere, while Espinosa has shown exceptional glove work at shortstop, as expected.

But through the first two weeks of the season, Taylor is hitting .175 and Espinosa is at .163.

Manager Dusty Baker is not concerned about these two players overall play, even with the scuffling at the plate. He shows his confidence by putting them in the lineup every single day.

Does Baker believe Espinosa is stressed a bit at the plate?

"It isn't going to change over night," Baker said. "It's a gradual process. He's not the only one stressing out over at-bats. I see stress, period. There's only a few guys on our team ... to be a good hitter, you have to remain tension-free most of the time.

"Tension is a hitter's worst nightmare. It's the worst thing in your jobs, in any job. I'm trying to talk to the guys and relieve as much tension as I can."

President of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo says the duo are critical to the middle of the field defense for the Nationals and will allow them some leeway to get their bats to heat up.

"I think they've started slow," Rizzo said. "I think they've shown some flashes of what could be. They both have the potential to impact baseball games offensively as well as defensively. They play the middle of the field and they play terrific defense, so we're happy where they are at right now."

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez has kept his emotions in check in his first two starts and has not been easily rattled. He also has had outstanding command, walking just three batters in his first 13 innings.

The results have been solid against the Braves and Phillies. He has a 0.69 ERA while allowing only one earned run, a solo shot to Carlos Ruiz last weekend in Philadelphia.

Baker has noticed one reason why Gonzalez has been calmer on the mound because he employs an old trick a former Dodgers teammate would initiate to keep himself in check when things don't go exactly as planned on the hill.

"I had talked to him in the past and so had some other people," Baker said. "I told him about how Fernando Valenzuela did that as a young player and as a very young pitcher. He'd walk behind the mound and call a timeout, throw the ball up."

Valenzuela, also a left-hander, and Baker were teammates with the Dodgers from 1980-1983. Baker has also noticed how Gonzalez's teammates on the field have come over to help him through big moments as well.

"I think that (Anthony) Rendon has really taken it upon himself to call a timeout for him sometimes," Baker continued. "Rendon, I've seen him go to the mound two or three times in the course of a game. I don't ask him what he's saying, but I know what he's doing. Anthony, speaking of people who are tension-free, I even see a smile on his face sometimes and Gio will respond the same way. Whatever works, go ahead and do it."

This is an interesting development with Rendon.

His tactic of going over to the mound to talk up Gonzalez during an intense moment here or there is reminiscent to what former shortstop Ian Desmond would do during games to cool down his pitcher. Seeing Rendon do this shows how the 25-year-old third baseman is taking on more and more of a leadership role on this team.

Rizzo has noticed a calmer demeanor from Gonzalez and believes it definitely has aided the southpaw in getting more from his starts.

"I've seen a calmer, more mature Gio for the last year or so," Rizzo said. "He's older now. He's more mature. He's got a family, so he's got that stability that he didn't have certainly earlier in his career and the beginning of his career when he was with us. I do see a difference."