Nationals’ lineup for the series finale with the Giants: No Daniel Murphy today in AT&T

Daniel Murphy was reportedly available to pinch hit on Saturday afternoon, and he did appear in the on-deck circle late in the game though he never actually came up to bat.

After what ended up a 5-3 loss to the Giants, Washington Nationals’ skipper Dusty Baker talked to reporters about the Nats’ second baseman, who tweaked his left leg earlier in the series in San Francisco’s AT&T Park.

Baker explained his thinking before the third game of four, and reiterated what he had said afterwards.

“Like I said earlier before the game,” he explained, Murphy was available, “... in a game-tying or hopefully winning [situation] and then him not having to run, because you didn’t want him to beat out a double play, but our hope was that he was trotting around the bases, you know what I mean.”

In the 21 games Murphy has played in this month, the 31-year-old infielder is 27 for 77 (.351/.376/.753) with 11 doubles, a triple, six home runs, four walks and seven Ks in 85 PAs.

Murphy’s not starting this afternoon, in the series finale with the Giants, however. For the second day in a row Trea Turner will play second for the Nationals.

Through five games on the current road trip, the 23-year-old infielder/outfielder is 8 for 17 (.471/.526/.588) with two doubles, two walks, four Ks and three stolen bases.

On the year, Turner now has a .339/.383/.500 line with three doubles, three triples, seven walks and 17 Ks in 60 PAs, and he’s 7 for 7 in stolen base attempts.

Turner’s leading off this afternoon as the Nationals try to take 3 of 4 from the Giants: