Flu bug slows Nats offense but Murphy believes they can adapt

With the 8-4 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday, the Nationals played a second straight game with a couple of offensive starters unavailable. And really it was three starters not available because of the left ribcage strain that has first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the disabled list.

On Sunday against the Pirates, Daniel Murphy was available only for the pinch-hit that tied the game. Anthony Rendon was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms.

Then Tuesday against Los Angeles, Murphy was back but Rendon was still out and manager Dusty Baker waited until postgame to reveal that Stephen Drew was not available with the flu bug.

"He wasn't available today," Baker said. "He was sick too. He was more sick I think than Anthony. He had to get IVs and all that stuff. I just hope that we quarantined him enough to not walk through our club."

With the way Drew has been swinging the bat, it was almost like the Nationals were without three starters for the second straight game.

The offense has struggled in these two games, mustering just five runs on 15 hits in the past 27 innings.

And on defense, without Drew, the Nats had to adapt. They had Chris Heisey take groundballs at second base during batting practice. Baker installed Murphy back into the lineup and had him start at third base for the first time as a Nationals player, and 83rd time in his career.

Baker said he appreciated Murphy playing third base Tuesday with the team short-handed. He said it was even more impressive because Murphy just had a recent position switch from second to first base because of the injury to Zimmerman.

"He didn't get a chance to work out much, because he's barely had time to work out at first base and then I asked him and Trea (Turner), because those are my two options, and Murph said 'yeah, I'll play first base,'" Baker explained. "Because Trea said he hadn't played it since freshman year in college. So you gotta admire Murph for biting the bullet for the kid and for us."

Murphy was a little bit harder on himself for the throwing error to start the eighth that allowed Chris Taylor to reach first base. Taylor eventually came around to score the Dodgers' seventh run of the game.

"Not very well," Murphy said of what he thought of his play third base. "That ball that I threw away, it changed the complexion of end of the ball game right there. We put ourselves in a really good position there in the eighth inning. If Bryce (Harper) can come up in that spot as the tying run instead of down three I think it changes the complexion of the game. It was a routine play, I threw it away, Blake (Treinen) deserves better. Hopefully if I get put back over there I need to do a better job."

Murphy said the club will have to adapt to the flu bug hitting the likes of Rendon and Drew. He believes they have enough offense to get rolling again.

"You never want to see those guys with the way Stephen's been swinging the bat and Tony's been playing really well," Murphy said. "Trea swung the bat well tonight and Clint's been swinging the bat really well. It's a deep group. We'll come out tomorrow with Gio (Gonzalez) on the mound and see if we can even the series up."