Wire Taps: Washington Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann Reviews; More Advice On Stephen Strasburg.

• Six straight series wins to start the season. A chance to take all three games of a three-game visit to Petco Park in San Diego. (ed. note - "They really should come up with a word to describe such complete dominance in a series.") Wins in seven of their last eight games. Ridiculously strong pitching. The Washington Nationals have more wins in the first 18 games of the season than any other team in the franchise's history... and as Davey Johnson told reporters last night, the team is still not firing on all cylinders. More on that later. For now it's a look back at last night's Jordan Zimmermann-led 7-2 win over San Diego. Tonight, at 10:00 pm EDT again after yesterday's odd 6:30 start, Edwin Jackson takes the mound against the Padres' Edinson Volquez, then it's off to LA for more late-night action this weekend. I apologize in advance, but there are no mentions of the Caps or RGIII in the links that follow. But you can start reading up on last night's win and the record-breaking start of the Nats' 2012 campaign... RIGHT NOW!!!:

• THE BIG STORY!!!:

• "Stephen Strasburg should decide what is best for Stephen Strasburg.If his body tells him that he’s through after 160 or 170 or 180 innings, then Nationals officials, players and fans must accept it." - "Washington Nationals set strict limit on pitcher Stephen Strasburg, but will that hurt the team?" - Jon Morosi, FOX Sports on MSN

• NATS BEAT!!:

• "[Ryan] Zimmerman rested his shoulder today, and tomorrow he will try again to swing the bat." - "Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals relieved after MRI results, disabled list still possible" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post

• "[Jordan] Zimmermann held San Diego without a run for four innings to give Washington starters 26 straight scoreless frames." - "Zimmermann, Nationals beat Padres 7-2" - Bernie Wilson, AP/WTOP.com

• "'We've [had] to scratch and claw and try to get a couple of runs,' Nationals manager Davey Johnson said before Wednesday's win. 'We've got to be perfect with our pitching.'" - "Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres - April 26, 2012" - James Walker, MLB.com Preview

• "At 14-4, the Nationals are off to the best start in Nats-Expos franchise history. Their pitching staff’s 2.20 ERA ranks as the best in the major leagues and their starting pitchers have allowed one run in the last 28 innings." - "Zimmermann earns first win; Nats jump out to best start in franchise history" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "[Ryan] Zimmerman's absence for any length of time would be a serious blow to a Nationals lineup that is already struggling to score runs without cleanup hitter Michael Morse..." - "Zimmerman may need short DL stint" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

• "Finally, the Nats' five-run win was their largest margin of victory all season. Entering yesterday's game, the Nats' first 16 games had been decided by an average of 2.2 runs per game." - "Nationals Pastime: Runs aplenty within the Nats' organization" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "With a win Thursday at San Diego the Nationals would improve to 15-4. No team in Nats/Expos franchise history or any MLB team based in Washington has started 15-4." - "Nats can achieve a first on Thursday" - Kevin Dunleavy, Washington Examiner

• "[Ryan] Zimmerman said the soreness is due to inflammation in the AC joint in his shoulder, and that pain is still present when he swings." - "Good news on Zim's MRI, but DL still possible" - Tim Powers, nationals.com: News

• "'As a team, we know we’ve got to step up,' Adam LaRoche said. 'As a whole, everybody feels we’ve got to pick up their slack.'" - "Adam LaRoche helping Nationals thrive without Michael Morse, Ryan Zimmerman" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post

• "[Chien-Ming] Wang is expected to throw 65 pitches for the Class A affiliate, according to manager Davey Johnson, and will likely need about three more outings before returning to the big league club." - "Wang to make rehab start Saturday in Potomac" - Tim Powers, nationals.com: News

• "The MRI, taken Tuesday, confirmed the diagnosis of the Nationals’ team doctors that there was some inflammation in the AC joint that has been causing soreness when [Ryan] Zimmerman hits." - "Ryan Zimmerman's MRI reveals no significant damage" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "Of their 13 previous victories, six had come by just one run, two had come by two runs, three had come by three runs and two had come by four runs." - "A rare chance to breathe easy" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

• "The Nationals' scoreless innings streak from their starters ended at 26 tonight when [Jordan] Zimmermann allowed a run in the fifth inning..." - "Nationals Pastime: Nats win fourth in a row, top Padres 7-2" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "Before he allowed a home run in the fifth, [Jordan] Zimmermann extended the Nationals’ starting rotation’s scoreless streak to 26 innings, their longest such stretch since baseball returned to Washington." - "Nationals vs. Padres: Jordan Zimmermann gets rare run support as Washington cruises to with" - Adam Kilgore, The Washington Post

• "Candidates to replace [Ryan] Zimmerman on the roster include right-handed infield/outfield prospect Tyler Moore, who is off to a hot start at Triple-A, and outfielder Brett Carroll, who was recently outrighted to Triple-A." - "DL stint still possible but Ryan Zimmerman relieved with MRI results" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "[Jordan] Zimmermann (1-1) threw four scoreless innings before Orlando Hudson touched him for a solo homer in the fifth, snapping a stretch of 26 scoreless innings by Nationals starters." - "Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres - April 25, 2012" - Tim Powers, MLB.com WSH Recap

• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "Just as we need good physical health we also need strength of mind to ensure our well-being; and we develop it by cultivating ethics."

• NATS MINORS:

• Class-A Hagerstown: "Right fielder Steven Souza went 4-for-6 with a triple, home run and nine RBIs, one short of tying the South Atlantic League record for most RBIs in a single game (10, James Barbe- Asheville, 1978)." - "When in Rome, Score 24 Runs on 24 Hits" - Hagerstown Suns News

• Class-A Potomac: "LHP Matt Grace started strong for Potomac. Through five innings, he had just given up two runs in the first inning with one unearned." - "DASH BLANK NATIONALS 14-0" - Potomac Nationals News

• "The Potomac Nationals are excited to announce that on Saturday Washington Nationals’ starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang will start at Pfitzner Stadium." - "NATS/P-NATS: Chien-Ming Wang to Pitch Saturday in Potomac" - Cheryl Nichols, District Sports Page

• Double-A Harrisburg: Senators 8, Curve 0 - Sandy Leon - 3 for 4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R; Danny Rosenbaum - (3-0), 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's, 88 P, 59 S - Harrisburg Senators Scoreboard

• Triple-A Syracuse: "The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, used two grand slams to power past the Rochester Red Wings 10-5 on Wednesday night." - "Two grand slams lead Chiefs past Red Wings" - Syracuse Chiefs News

• "Thursday’s News & Notes" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• "It is time to call up Tyler Moore." - "The time has come for Moore to arrive" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• NATSTOWN:

• "'[Stephen Strasburg's] not on a pitch limit for the year,' Rizzo said. 'We’re going to control his innings at the end, and when I feel he’s had enough innings, we’re gonna shut him down." - "Stephen Strasburg, his innings limit and the playoffs" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post

• "[Ryan] Zimmerman hasn't gotten off to all that great a start. He's hitting just .224/.324/.345 with one home run in 68 plate appearances. But he means a lot to this team on - and off - the field." - "A dose of reality in an unreal start" - Nationals Buzz: Dave Nichols, MASNSports.com

• "During the first 66 years of the 20th Century, most major league baseball teams wore sparkling white flannel uniforms for their home games, and gray uniforms on the road." - "The Good Guys Wore White" - Jim Hartley, D.C. Baseball History

• "Nats GM Mike Rizzo had just bet big on Werth, and was willing to bet even bigger on Greinke. As I'm sure you all know, Greinke used his no trade clause to reject that deal stating that for him it was all about winning." - "The Nats Ended Up On Top Of The Nixed Zack Greinke Trade" - Will Yoder, The Nats Blog

• "You know what I like most about Adam LaRoche? He never stresses me out." - "I heart Adam LaRoche" - Jenn Jenson, Nationals Fangirl

• "But all is not despair in the batters box for this team. They are, in fact, ranked 9th in the NL in runs scored per game with 3.78..." - "Don’t Get Too Down on the Offense" - The Nationals Review

• "Pigs fly, cats and dogs live in peace, pitchers hit and drive in runs, the Nats are 14-4..." - "Nats win, even Tom Gorzelanny hits." - Nats Enquirer

• "'Gee, those Sharkadina guys sure write a halfway decent blog, but I just wish I knew what their voices sounded like?'" - "Shark Radio Recap" - Sharkadina

• NL EAST UPDATES:

• Braves: "The first trip out west for the Braves turned out to be a very profitable one, winning five of seven games and taking two out of three from the first-place Dodgers in their own ballpark." - "Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers Series Recap" - TonyAlmeyda, Talking Chop

• Mets: "With last night’s two-run homer, [David] Wright became only the second active player to lead his team in RBIs (Todd Helton is the other one)." - "New York Mets' David Wright Proving He's The Face Of The Franchise" - Rich Coutinho, CBS New York

• Marlins: "The 2012 MLB draft is going to be crucial for the Miami Marlins organization." - "Four Possible Draft Choices for the Marlins This June" - Sam Evans, Fish Stripes

• Phillies: "[Cole] Hamels pitched a gem for eight innings, retiring 18 consecutive batters at one point, and his four-hitter helped the Phillies hand the Diamondbacks a 7-2 loss..." - "Philadelphia Phillies' Cole Hamels shuts down Arizona Diamondbacks" - Bob McManaman, AZCentral.com