Fatigue not an issue for Nats, who need to find key hits

MIAMI - The Nationals have now lost four in a row. The biggest concern recently has been the offense. But getting runners home from scoring position has been an issue off and on for most of the season.

Following Tuesday's 1-0 loss to the Marlins, the Nationals have scored only eight runs in their last four games, a span of 34 innings.

That statistic might be a little bit skewed because they had to face Marlins ace Jose Fernandez on Tuesday. But then again, they will have to figure out a way to solve pitchers like Fernandez when they get to the postseason.

Manager Dusty Baker has rested starting position players in the first two games of the series. His lineups have been affected by the absence (until late pinch-hitting appearances) of second baseman Daniel Murphy, who has been slowed the last three days by left leg soreness.

Baker rested Murphy and Bryce Harper on Monday night. On Tuesday, he gave Murphy, Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman the night off, mostly because of the presence of Fernandez.

Baker said he will not let this recent four-game losing streak detour the team's focus of getting to the National League East crown.

"The thing I take out of it is that you quit counting and that's what you take out of it," Baker said. "It seems more prevalent, especially when things happen this time of the year. We're not hitting with runners in scoring position.

"Most time when you're in a four-game losing streak, that's what you're not doing. Playing good defense, run the bases good most of the time. We're just not scoring, just not getting that big hit."

And it's an issue that's not unfamiliar to his team this season. The Nationals are 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of this series.

"We've talked. We've approached the guys with everything," Baker said. "The main thing is you just got to get more aggressive in that situation. You can't hit if you don't swing. The thing I'd like to see us do more is swing early in the count."

Catcher Wilson Ramos singled late in Tuesday's loss. He said monitoring your body and how you feel this late in September is also important to crossing the finish line and feeling strong for the playoffs. Ramos said he will not go to a lighter bat or change his pregame workout routine just because he has logged 128 games.

"Rest more, get as much rest as possible," Ramos said via interpreter Octavio Martinez. "My bats still feel great. It's the same bat I'm using since the start of the season. I still feel comfortable, and the days off Dusty has given me have been great and have allowed me to recover. But the biggest thing is just rest as much as possible, and I feel as good now as I did at the beginning of the season."

Fatigue also does not appear to be an issue for Tuesday's starter Tanner Roark, who for the 12th time this season tossed at least seven innings and allowed one run or fewer. His 200 1/3 innings this season are a career high.

"Yeah, I still feel good, hopefully they still have confidence in me to go out there and perform and it's all about getting your work in and keep working hard and don't let the long season get the best of you," Roark said. "Keep fighting."