Baker hoping for long work again tonight from his starter

BALTIMORE - Despite the loss to the Orioles on Monday, Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy praised right-hander A.J. Cole for his career-high seven innings that kept the Nationals in the ball game. The Nats lost 4-3, but Cole helped give the team's taxed bullpen a day of rest it desperately needed in the midst a stretch that features 20 games without an off day.

Manager Dusty Baker hopes that 22-year-old Reynaldo Lopez is capable of seven innings as well. That would allow the relievers one more day to mend from last week's Colorado and Atlanta trips. The next scheduled off day is Thursday, September 1.

"Today would be great if we go deep in the game again, then we'd be whole," Baker said. "Sometimes one day off for a guy isn't quite enough. We'll ride that horse again today. Hopefully, we come out of that well and then that would mean we have seven or eight days that we could pitch for the off days because you pitch towards the off days, sometimes.

"You can sort of tell when the team has an off day the next day or coming up soon, they use full bullpen. So, I'm hoping we win this game, and I'm very confident with the way this young man pitching the way he's capable of pitching."

Left-hander Oliver Perez was dealing with tightness in his back Monday. Is he recovered enough to pitch tonight, if necessary?

"We think so. Yesterday, he was available but we didn't need him," Baker said. "So, I'm hoping we don't need him today. Every day that passes by when you don't really have to use him makes it even better for him."

One tremendous strength for the bullpen has been the work of right-hander Blake Treinen. One reporter asked Baker to compare Orioles closer Zach Britton to what Treinen can do.

"Treinen, look how many key double plays he's thrown for us," Baker said. "I always said I was never on a real good team that didn't have a guy that could get you ground balls. You got to have somebody that can get you ground balls because they can get you out of trouble with one pitch.

"A lot of times, you don't want to strike out because you're still in trouble with the bases loaded. You want a ground ball double play to get out of the inning. If you do get a ground ball, he's done his job to give yourself the best chance to get out of that situation."