By Barry Svrluga
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 27, 2007

PHILADELPHIA, April 26 -- Last April, when he was a Cincinnati Red, Austin Kearns hit five homers and drove in 18 runs, a fine start to a season in which he would establish career highs in both categories. But this April, in his first full season as a Washington National, Kearns has hit the ball hard but has little production to show for it.

"The bottom line is results," Kearns said. "I don't care how good you're hitting the ball, when you're not getting results, it's not good enough. That's the name of the game."

After going 2 for 3 with a double in Thursday's 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Kearns's average is at a steady .289. But he has only one home run and three RBI -- though he hit one ball Wednesday night and another Thursday that hit the top of the wall at Citizens Bank Park.

Kearns, who is hitting fifth, signed a three-year, $17.5 million contract in the offseason.

In 2005, there was some thought that third baseman Ryan Zimmerman might not make a bad shortstop in the Cal Ripken mode. Zimmerman gets a taste of that position against the best left-handed hitters in the game because the Nationals play an exaggerated shift, moving the shortstop to the right of second base and putting Zimmerman at shortstop.

Thursday, with Phillies slugger Ryan Howard up, they turned their second 4-5-3 double play, with Zimmerman jumping to avoid the runner, Chase Utley.

"I love it," Zimmerman said. "Every time we have that shift on, I hope they hit a ground ball. I come back in the dugout and they all laugh at me because I enjoy it so much." . . .

With Thursday's 3 p.m. start following a night game, and with lefty Cole Hamels going for the Phillies, it made sense that Acta might give right-handed hitting Jesus Flores a start at catcher. But Acta was clear: He wanted to pair up Schneider with Thursday's starter, Shawn Hill. Even as Flores has impressed in scant playing time while Schneider has struggled offensively, don't expect Flores with any regularity.

"Schneider's our everyday guy anyways," Acta said. "He's not a platoon guy."