Taylor finding way to deliver big hits between strikeouts

Michael A. Taylor knows he's going to be the Nationals' everyday center fielder for the foreseeable future, with Adam Eaton out for the season after tearing his ACL and no other viable in-house options for the Nationals as currently constructed.

That has helped Taylor take some pressure off himself, the kind he knows he succumbs to more than he'd like as he tries to prove he belongs in the big leagues.

"Definitely, I feel like I've done that this year," he said. "In years past, things have kind of snowballed a little bit on me. I feel like I kind of have a foundation now. As long as I stay there, at least give me a chance to compete."

The road has been rocky for Taylor since he took over as the starting center fielder two weeks ago. He has struck out 21 times in 54 at-bats. He has failed to deliver in some big spots, and in the opener of Sunday's doubleheader he popped up a bunt in a critical moment that might have changed the outcome of the game.

But when he has come through, he has done so in a big way. In 14 total games since Eaton got hurt, Taylor is batting .333 with two homers, eight RBIs and a .924 OPS, numbers that got a boost Sunday night when he launched the two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth that proved the difference in the Nationals' 6-5 win over the Phillies.

"It's nice," he said. "Anytime you can help contribute to a win, it's a good feeling."

Taylor's blast off Phillies reliever Pat Neshek, which clanged off the left field foul pole, offered glimpse of what he can do when he takes the right mindset to the plate with him. Instead of trying to deliver a big hit like to bring his team back after it just gave away a lead, he focused on smaller tasks. Especially after striking out in his three previous at-bats.

"I had a tough first three at-bats, so just trying to slow it down a little bit," he said. "I felt like I was rushing, chasing pitches out of the zone, trying to be too aggressive. Kind of what I fall into every time when I go through a streak like that. So, (I'm) just trying to kind of downshift a little bit, see a pitch in my zone and not try to do too much with it. Because that's when I end up fouling it off and missing it."

With a calm and collected approach, Taylor was able to deliver a big hit when he wasn't trying to do that. It's the kind of thing the Nationals have been waiting to see from the 26-year-old.

Whether this is the beginning of a transformation for Taylor, one in which he seizes this latest opportunity afforded him, remains to be seen. He might well fall back into the same traps that have caught him before.

One way or another, though, he knows he's going to keep getting the opportunity. And that, he thinks, helps him keep a clear mind and not worry about the big picture.

"It definitely changes things when you're getting consistent at-bats," he said. "You can kind of ride those streaks out a little bit. There's a little less pressure."