Jayson Werth delivering in a leading role

When Jayson Werth showed up at the ballpark Saturday afternoon, he wasn't on manager Matt Williams' original lineup card. The Nationals skipper was looking to give the 36-year-old a night off to recover after the long and late trip back early Friday morning. But moments later, a new batting order was posted with Werth penciled in to lead off.

"I really just wanted to play, so he put me in there," Werth said after last night's 6-1 win over the Brewers.

Werth's presence was felt early when he battled Milwaukee right-hander Taylor Jungmann for eight pitches before lining a heater into center for a single. He advanced to second when Anthony Rendon walked, setting up a wild sequence.

Bryce Harper blistered a rope to center that Shane Peterson made a stunning diving catch on. Werth tagged from second, but Peterson hopped to his feet and fired a laser to Brewers third baseman Elian Herrera, nailing the sliding Werth at the bag.

"That's how I've always played," Werth explained. "Bryce hit that ball so hard, at first I thought it was down, so I was kind of reading it. Then once I figured out it wasn't going to be down, he was going to catch it, I went back to tag, but then when he dove, it was kind of a no-brainier. I was going to go.

"With nobody out there, you want to be aggressive. With one out you're just halfway and you don't move up, but that instance it felt like it was a pretty good play. Press the envelope a little bit. Obviously it didn't work out for us and it killed the inning, but if you play like that night in and night out and you take those chances, I think more times than not you're going to be better off."

Werth was again in the middle of the action in the Nationals' big three-run fourth inning. He flared a two-out single to center scoring Wilson Ramos for the second run of the frame. Rendon followed with a double, scorched down the left field line. Michael A. Taylor scored easily, but Werth was nailed at the plate despite an athletic effort on a hook-slide that got the 13-year veteran a face full of dirt.

The two singles gave Werth his third multi-hit game in his last five. Since Williams moved him to the leadoff spot on Tuesday, Werth is 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles, one triple, three RBIs, one walk and three runs scored. He's fought to get his batting average back to .200 after struggling mightily for three weeks since returning from the disabled list (fractured left wrist) on July 28.

"It's been a little frustrating because I feel like I've had the at-bats," Werth said. "I've worked counts and been close, but just the result hasn't been there, or maybe somewhere along the way I get a pitch called a strike that maybe in years past felt like it would've been called a ball and it just kind of put me in a hole. For whatever reason, things just haven't been working like they usually do. When you're leading off, I think you have a good at-bat, you work the guy's first hitter of the game, it just kind of sets the tone for your night and your team's night."

Nobody in the Nationals clubhouse possesses Werth's playoff experience. Having played 53 postseason games, including two World Series, Werth understands the challenge facing the Nats having to make up a five-game deficit with 40 games remaining.

"Going forward with where we're at, I think they're all going to be important wins," Werth said. "Hopefully, just keep building on this last week or so, keep going and win as many games as we can here. We all know what's at stake and where we're at."