Turner has been adept at setting the table (plus lineups)

In the first game of the Nationals' series with the Rockies, Trea Turner and Jayson Werth set up the rest of the offense by getting on base in an 8-5 win. The duo combined for four hits, four runs and two RBIs. Turner has two stolen bases in the series.

Manager Dusty Baker was asked how having Turner in leadoff role alters the equation for Werth.

"Well, it changes the equation," Baker said. "Everybody in the order changes the equation for the next person.

"I knew that it changed the equation because there's a good chance they weren't going to throw ... Jayson a (3-2) breaking ball. If I'm hitting, I'm looking fastball away because the catchers, they take pride in throwing out a guy like Trea Turner. He didn't want to miss because then there'd be first and second and nobody out.

"This comes from experience or it comes from baseball intellect. There's some young guys that have it figured out pretty good now too. And there's some old guys that need to figure it out."

Turner's presence changes the equation for the opponents, too. On Saturday, there was one sequence where Turner stole a base on Rockies catcher Nick Hundley standing up, without even drawing a throw.

Turner is leading off for the Nationals today, but he'll have a different hitter behind him for the series finale. With Werth getting a day off, Ben Revere slides into the two-hole.

Colorado manager Walt Weiss, a product of North Carolina, said his troops know what they are up against in Turner.

"There's no doubt about it, it's a weapon," Weiss said. "It's a big time weapon. It's hard for me to talk nicely about a kid from N.C. State, to be honest with you, but he's a heck of a player. Obviously, you want to get him out to keep him off the bases, but the kid can hit too. He's a good hitter and there's some juice in the bat. He's big-time fast. I didn't know he was that fast. He's Billy Hamilton fast. It's elite speed."

Having Turner and Werth setting the table for Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper, Wilson Ramos and others is what Baker and general manager Mike Rizzo envisioned for the top of the order from the beginning of spring training. Now they need to keep it going for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Sunday's series finale features right-hander Lucas Giolito, who will be making his fourth big league start, but his first at Nationals Park. To make room on the 25-man roster for Giolito, infielder Wilmer Difo has been optioned to Double-A Harrisburg.

The Rockies will pitch right-hander Chad Bettis (10-7, 5.29 ERA) for today's series finale.

COLORADO ROCKIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, XM 183 (Internet 869), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 87 degrees, wind 7 mph from left to right field

NATIONALS (75-54)

CF Trea Turner
LF Ben Revere
2B Daniel Murphy
RF Bryce Harper
3B Anthony Rendon
C Wilson Ramos
1B Ryan Zimmerman
SS Danny Espinosa
RHP Lucas Giolito

ROCKIES (61-68)

CF Charlie Blackmon
2B DJ LeMahieu
RF Carlos Gonzalez
3B Nolan Arenado
LF David Dahl
1B Gerardo Parra
SS Daniel Descalso
C Tony Wolters
RHP Chad Bettis