Washington Nationals’ lineup for series opener with Chicago Cubs: Dusty Baker talks Nats’ rough stretch...

After the Washington Nationals scored seven runs total in 27 innings as they dropped two of three in Miami, Nats’ skipper Dusty Baker addressed the sluggish production in the three-game set with the Marlins. Was it the travel out of the break, to Cincinnati, LA, Arizona, home to D.C., and then off to Florida that was taking its toll on the current NL East division leaders?

“Well, you can’t use that as an excuse, but it has been tough travel,” Dusty Baker told reporters in Marlins Park on Wednesday night.

“But that’s part of being a professional. It’s a much-needed rest tomorrow, before we go to Chicago, and it’s been a tough stretch on us offensively, the last few games, other than that six-run inning that we had yesterday. It’s hard to throw up that many zeros against us — I don’t know how many they threw up... that wasn’t a very good series here.”

Washington’s runs in the three days in Miami came in two innings, with Bryce Harper singling in the sixth to drive in the only runner to get in scoring position for either team in Monday’s series opener, and the other six runs scoring in the second inning of Tuesday night’s 7-6 loss.

Harper went 2 for 11 against the Marlins, and he’s in the midst of a 2 for 23 stretch in the last seven games.

Ryan Zimmerman went 0 for 12 with 5 Ks in Miami, and he’s put up a .212/.258/.412 line in the last month-plus. Zimmerman’s sitting out of the series opener in Chicago.

Daniel Murphy is just 1 for 15 in the last five games, after snapping a four-game hitless streak in the finale with the Fish.

Will the middle of the Nationals’ order snap out of its collective funk in Wrigley Field?

HERE’S THE NATS’ LINEUP FOR THE SERIES OPENER WITH THE CUBS: