Nats "get to see what we're really made of" on trek, Zimmerman says

Regardless of the last three games, the next 10 games on the schedule have been pointed to as a huge test in this young season.

Whether the Nationals arrived 14-7 or 17-4, games at St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago were marked as difficult because of the caliber of teams and the venues they will have to play in.

First baseman Ryan Zimmerman is the longest-tenured Nationals player and he describes this trip as the most daunting of his career.

"It's one of the tougher trips I think I've probably ever been on," Zimmerman said. "You enjoy the challenge. I think you get to see what we're really made of. Go out and play three really, really good teams and I think the guys in here are excited for it."

The Nationals have done well to start the season, this three-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies at home notwithstanding.

And look out, here come the surging New York Mets, winners of six in a row, now just a half-game game back in the National League East.

The Nats have won six of nine on the road to begin the season. The next Cardinals, Royals and Cubs are a combined 17-9 at home.

So would the Nationals be happy by just going 5-5 on the trip?

"I think going into it, you don't want to think about splitting it," right fielder Bryce Harper said. "You want to think about winning every single game. Of course, going up against a team like the Cardinals, Kansas City and the Cubs - three of the best teams in all of baseball - you just try to go about it day by day, at-bat by at-bat and just try to worry about that one game at a time and go from there."

Manager Dusty Baker knows from experience that facing these kinds of teams would be tough enough at home, but 10 straight against them on the road? That's a true test for your team.

"At home is always a test, but usually the road trips are more of a test, because you're playing on their turf, you're sleeping in foreign beds, you're traveling, and they have the last at-bat," Baker said.

"Like, me and my brother were playing games in our back yard, he always wanted to hit first and I always wanted to hit last, to get the last at bat, which is big. Because at home you only have to play eight and a half innings, but on the road you've got to play a full nine if you have the lead. ... It's a big test."

Baker said there will not be any knee-jerk reactions after the three losses to the Phillies.

Highly touted shortstop Trea Turner isn't arriving to fix the Nats' offensive woes and injured center fielder Ben Revere is likely not to join the team until it reaches Chicago. But after going 2-for-3 with a run and RBI yesterday for Triple-A Syracuse, the talented leadoff man is making good progress recovering from his strained right oblique.

"There are three or four times on the schedule where you say, 'Hey this is going to be a heck of a road trip,' or whatever and this is going to be a test to see-- a barometer to see how good we are right now," Baker said. "We're not full forces yet, we haven't been and we've done pretty well, because Ben Revere, one of our igniters, is getting ready. So, it's going to be a test road (trip). We've got good pitching, most of the time big ballparks, different elements that you have to deal with. In the Midwest you've always got the elements to deal with, so it's going to be exciting."

Shortstop Danny Espinosa put it in perspective. Yes, the Nats have lost three in a row. But you cannot win a 10-game road trip on Friday, all you can do is try to find a way to beat the Cardinals in the first game and then keep going.

"We can't get too far ahead and think about (the Cardinals), Kansas City and Chicago," Espinosa said. "We've got a three-game set with St. Louis. That's a good ballclub. We've gotta take it day to day, game to game and win on a daily basis. Go out there and win some series. We'll start in St. Louis."

And guess what? The Nationals are 14-7. That's still pretty good.

"If somebody told me we'd start off 14-7, I'd be very very happy," Baker said. "We kind of spoiled everybody by starting the way we did, so we'l get it back together. Big-time. These guys have a lot of pride over here and a lot of determination. At night, when you go to bed, you can be sad, but you got every reason to be happy when the sun comes up tomorrow."

Added Zimmerman: "If every 21 games we went 14-7, I think we'd be all right. I think everybody needs to just calm down."