Speier managing for Baker with "heavy heart" (Nats win 1-0)

Chris Speier has been through this before, filling in temporarily as manager of Dusty Baker's team when the latter had to leave for personal reasons. The longtime big league coach stepped in for 11 games in Sept. 2012 when Baker (managing the Reds at the time) landed in the hospital with what eventually was discovered to be a mini-stroke.

So when he learned a few days ago that he would need to take the reins again while Baker left town due to a death in the family, Speier did his best both to comfort his friend and make sure everything on the field was taken care of during his absence.

"This is not an ideal situation to be in," Speier said. "It's not my first time that we've done this. The last time I managed was another similar, somber situation: Dusty's health was questionable. So I just try to do the things that I know he would do, and that he would want me to do. This situation is no different than that."

The Nationals did not reveal which member of Baker's family passed away but said he hopes to miss only today's series finale against the Mets and return in time for Friday night's series opener in Atlanta.

"He's doing OK in this situation," Speier said. "He had a loss in the family. As you know, Dusty has a big family, and a lot of people lean on him. It's burdensome, and we feel that."

Though Speier, 66, takes over as manager in name, he'll be getting plenty of help from the rest of the Nationals coaching staff, which includes the entire staff from Triple-A Syracuse that joined the big leaguers last week.

Mike Maddux will handle the pitching staff as he normally does. Speier will continue his regular duties running the team's defensive alignments. Syracuse manager Billy Gardner Jr. will be at Speier's side as something of a fill-in bench coach. Baker already wrote out his preferred starting lineup both for today's game and for Friday's game (in case he doesn't make it to Atlanta in time).

Speier learned a valuable lesson during his previous temporary managerial stint that he intends to utilize this time around.

"Just let them play," he said. "Don't try to be too tricky. We have a lot of talent on this team. Let the talent do it. Try to put them in the right position to be successful. Don't over-manage. This situation is: Let's not get anybody hurt."

The Nationals are trying to reduce their magic number to seven with a victory over the Mets today, but there will be extra motivation as well with their manager missing his first game of the season.

"It's just done with a heavy heart," Speier said. "You have a friend that's going through some difficult times. Your heart goes out. What I do, and what the team does today, is done for him."

Update: They've played four innings here at Nationals Park, and neither starting pitcher has given in yet. Tanner Roark got into a big ol' jam in the top of the first (bases loaded, nobody out) but pitched out of it by striking out Jay Bruce and getting T.J. Rivera out on a nice play by Bryce Harper down the right field line. Roark has uncharacteristically walked four (one intentional) through four scoreless innings, but he also has five strikeouts. Robert Gsellman, meanwhile, has been aided by the strong work of catcher Rene Rivera, who already has notched two strike-em-out, throw-em-out double plays. One of those included the throwing out of Trea Turner, only the fourth time Turner has been caught stealing this season, and the first time it has happened without help from instant replay. And so this game is scoreless heading to the fifth.

Update II: And it's still scoreless as they head to the seventh. Roark has gotten more efficient as his day progresses, leaving him at 85 pitches through six. Gsellman, meanwhile, was pulled with two outs and a man on second in the bottom of the sixth. Terry Collins summoned Josh Smoker (who you may remember was one of the Nats' first round picks in 2007), had the rookie left-hander intentionally walk Daniel Murphy and instead pitch to Harper. The move worked. With the count 2-2, plate umpire CB Bucknor punched out Harper on a fastball on the outside corner. Rally thwarted. Game still scoreless after six.

Update III: It's not scoreless anymore. Wilson Ramos took care of that with a towering solo homer into the Red Porch off reliever Fernando Salas in the bottom of the seventh. The Nats have taken a 1-0 lead, and following Roark's MLB-leading ninth start of seven-plus scoreless innings this season, they'll hand this one over to their bullpen.

Update IV: That'll do it. Nats win 1-0, thanks to scoreless relief work from Blake Treinen in the eighth and Mark Melancon in the ninth. Tanner Roark improves to 15-8 with a 2.75 ERA. And the Nationals now lead the NL East by 10 games with 16 to play, their magic number down to seven as they head out on a nine-game road trip.