Nats struggle for answers after back-to-back 3-0 losses

The Phillies handed the Nationals another 3-0 shutout loss on Thursday, sweeping the three-game series.

Despite a lineup that was switched around a bit to try to jumpstart the offense, the Nationals combined for only four hits.

The Nationals have not scored in 22 innings and have just five runs in the past 34 innings dating to Sunday's 16-inning marathon win over the Twins.

It's not like the Nationals had that many chances against Phillies starter Aaron Nola, with only base hits in the first and fifth. They had a couple of singles in the late going, but were never able to really put that much pressure on the Phillies, going just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Ryan Zimmerman singled to lead off the ninth with the Nationals down 3-0. A long fly out to the wall by Daniel Murphy gave the crowd a bit of hope but turned into an out. A 6-4-3 double play from Jayson Werth extinguished the threat.

How do you get out of this offensive struggle?

"You start scoring runs," Zimmerman said. "The three guys that they started against us all threw well. The kid today had good stuff. It's just one of those things. It's three bad games. It's nothing to worry about. We just continue to play and go on the road, and get off to a good start in the series tomorrow. It's not the last time we are going to get swept all year."

Manager Dusty Baker was not feeling great after seeing his team muster just six hits in successive 3-0 shutouts by the Phillies.

"How you supposed to feel when you see a bunch of 0s up there?" Baker asked rhetorically. "We hit some balls on the nose. Hit the ball twice up the middle on (Dalier) Hinojosa. Makes it tough when you're not scoring. We tried about everything, and it's one of those days when not much worked our way, offensively or defensively."

Baker attempted to shake up the lineup for Thursday's getaway matchup. He led off with Matt den Dekker and moved Danny Espinosa in the No. 2 spot. Stephen Drew played third base and Pedro Severino caught. But Baker acknowledged after the game that there won't be a quick fix.

"If I knew at the moment, I'd have fixed it a long time ago," Baker said. "Like I said, we'll get it fixed. You gotta work your way out of these things. That's the key. We're getting good pitching, and that's where it starts. You just gotta go back to work. It's simple."

Would Baker consider bringing up shortstop Trea Turner from Triple-A Syracuse or hope that injured center fielder Ben Revere can come back earlier than the series against the Chicago Cubs from May 5-8?

Revere went 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI with Syracuse on Thursday in the first game of a minor league rehab assignment.

"No, I mean right now, Trea has to play," Baker said. "Ben'll be back. He's our igniter. We've been doing fairly well until this week in Ben's absence. The main thing is he's not coming back in the next week, so we gotta find a way to win games prior to him coming back. We have no choice."

Espinosa, who finished 0-for-3 and was lifted for pinch-hitter Anthony Rendon in the ninth, looked to explain the recent issues on offense.

"It's going to happen," Espinosa said. "We faced a couple of pitchers that had some really good games tonight and last night, especially. They really changed speeds and were throwing strikes. They just had good games. I'm still confident in this offense. I think we're going to be just fine."

But even with all of the problems on offense, Tanner Roark and Shawn Kelley pitched eight scoreless innings. But in the ninth, Felipe Rivero allowed a pair of base hits and intentionally walked Maikel Franco to lad the bases.

Jonathan Papelbon was called in to a bases-loaded, none-out scenario. He struck out the first batter he faced, but then allowed a RBI double to Cameron Rupp and a run-scoring single by David Lough.

Baker explained his reasoning for starting the inning with Rivero.

"In the ninth, when you normally bring in Pap, we didn't like the matchup with the leadoff man, and then they had the switch-hitters," Baker said. "We were going to bring in Pap once we got to the third hitter. But sometimes those things don't work. It was one of those days where it seemed like nothing worked."

Papelbon said striking out the first guy was exactly what he had hoped would happen. But the rest of the inning didn't work out as well.

"Trying to strike the first guy out and get a double play," Papelbon said. "I saw myself working my way through that situation, I really did. I felt really confident getting out of that situation picking us up there with bases loaded no outs. It just didn't unfold that way, that's baseball man, that's baseball."