Dusty Baker has talk with struggling reliever Joe Blanton

DENVER - With the news that Koda Glover has a sore hip, the Nationals realize what might have been causing the right-hander's struggles against the Rockies last night. He ended up allowing two runs in the seventh inning.

But as for right-hander Joe Blanton, there is no obvious injury that could be pinpointed as the reason for the struggles the veteran has had recently.

Blanton had allowed four runs in three appearances two weeks ago against St. Louis and Philadelphia. Then, after six days off, Blanton had a clean inning against the Mets April 21, giving up no runs and no hits despite walking two in one frame of work.

Blanton then had four days off before the Tuesday night nightmare in Denver. He faced four hitters, and the Rockies connected with base hits: a single, two doubles and a two-run homer. The Nationals 15-7 lead suddenly was reduced to 15-11.

Manager Dusty Baker said today Blanton is missing location.

"We talked to Joe also, and he says he's healthy," Baker said. "He just said he's missing location. He relies on location and defense. When you're missing location and you're supposed to be away, in is in. In the big leagues, there's a very fine line between a mistake and a good pitch. Most guys don't stay in the big leagues because pitchers are more likely to put that ball in your weakness. Where in the minor leagues they knew where your weakness was, they just couldn't put it there most of the time."

Baker said the coaches sat down with Blanton to hammer out a plan to figure out what is going wrong.

"We had a long talk with Joe today, and he's going to go out and have a little light session to try to find it because we need Joe," Baker said. "I don't like to see Joe get hit the way he has, and he is not used getting hit the way he has. I told him that I really don't like having to go out and take him out and bail him out because that puts pressure on somebody else. We will figure it out."