Worth noting

• First baseman Adam LaRoche, mired in a bad slump for much of the season, went 2-for-3 on Wednesday, with a pair of singles to left field. But according to Johnson, going the opposite way isn't necessarily a sign that LaRoche is locked in at the plate.

"That's usually what everyone says, that when you have a problem, you go the other way," Johnson said. "But with him, he's a pull hitter. I think early on, when he was flying out to left, his timing was a little off. When he gets right, he's generally driving the ball to the right side."

Still, LaRoche entered Thursday 7-for-13 with two doubles and six walks during a five-game hitting streak.

"I like where he's at," Johnson said. "I think he's seeing the ball better. I think his timing's coming around."

• Bryce Harper's blast on Wednesday meant that the Nationals have homered at least once in 67 consecutive series, the second-longest active streak in the Majors, behind the Rangers (76). The last time Washington failed to reach the seats during a series was a four-game set against the Mets, Sept. 12-15, 2011, at Citi Field.