Nationals Manager Davey Johnson talks about Ouija board lineup

Washington Nationals Manager Davey Johnson has gone somewhere that not even the Angels’ Mike Scioscia or Dodgers’ Don Mattingly have dared to go: the Ouija board.

Before the start of an Independance Day game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Washington, Johnson admitted that he’s “going crazy” when it comes to putting together a Nationals lineup in an attempt to shake the club from a hitting slump.

“My Ouija board is just, I’m having a problem with it,” Johnson told reporters Thursday morning. “I don’t have the answers. I mean, I still love this ballclub. I still like the talent. I like the makeup.

“It seems like when we hit, we all hit, and when we don’t, we don’t hit.... We’ve been in that cycle for a long time.”

Including this week, when the team scored 23 runs in games on Sunday and Monday, then went scoreless on Tuesday and scored once on Wednesday.

“I’ve thought about just throwing a bunch of names in a hat and picking them out,” Johnson said. “I ain’t to that point yet.”

Johnson’s big play on Thursday was to move shortstop Ian Desmond to No. 2 in the batting order and move outfielder Jayson Werth to No. 6. He admitted that he hadn’t even told Werth of the switch.

“He’ll figure it out ... that I’m an idiot,” Johnson concluded.

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