The Nationals were swept over the weekend in L.A., and were shutout in the series finale 3-0 for a fifth consecutive defeat. Clayton Kershaw blanked the struggling offense, despite a strong outing by Max Scherzer. Al & Mark shine a spotlight on how Washington has been held scoreless 3 times in their first week, and discuss how much of it is related to them being shorthanded. Just how much bad luck has the franchise been dealt so far in the young season? (13:17) Scherzer was impressive and did not allow any homers like on Opening Day. Mark breaks down what he saw from Max's cutter & slider.  (17:40) Tanner Rainey gave up a 2 run HR in the 7th that seemingly put the game out of reach. How concerned should fans be that he has allowed a homer in both his appearances this season? This leads into a conversation on where the unofficial bullpen hierarchy currently stands for the team. (22:05) They close with a look at the upcoming 3 game series in St. Louis. Will Kyle Schwarber & Josh Bell be back in the lineup? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices