WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman asked for and received a day off Sunday, ending the second-longest active consecutive games streak in the majors at 205 games.

The hiatus won't be the last this season for Washington's struggling workaholic.

"It's better for me, it's better for the team, it's better for everybody," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman's streak dated to Sept. 19, 2006. Atlanta outfielder Jeff Francoeur's 356 straight games through Sunday is the longest current streak.

Asked before the game how he would spend his idle time, Zimmerman replied: "I don't know. I'm not going to pick up a bat, I'll tell you that much. It's weird, but it's nice."

With the Nationals scheduled for a day off Monday following an 11-game homestand, their longest of the season, manager Manny Acta figured the timing would provide a two-day respite for Zimmerman, who is hitting .217 with three home runs and 14 RBIs.

"He's having a day off. That, put together with tomorrow being a (scheduled) day off, will be nice. Two days in a row," Acta said.

Aaron Boone replaced Zimmerman at third base and hit a home run in the Nationals' 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh.

Zimmerman and Acta met in spring training and decided that there was no reason for the third baseman to gut out the full 162-game schedule, as he did last year.

"He told me he's not pursuing Cal Ripken Jr.'s (2,632 consecutive games) record. That really doesn't bother him at all, so we decided during spring training that he was going to have a few days off," Acta said. "So it's not going to be the last one."

Zimmerman insists his batting problems this season had nothing to do with the break.

"I'm fine. ... This has nothing do with me being beat up or me not doing so well at the plate or anything. I thought it would be a good idea for me," he said.

But Zimmerman didn't deny he could use the time to heal the bumps and bruises that come with playing third base.

"It's tough. It takes a toll on your body. You take a day off, followed by another day off, and it's two days of relaxing and doing nothing," Zimmerman said. "You can't really tell anybody how much that does for you over the course of a long season."

HORSE SENSE:@ With the Nationals slated to play an interleague series at Camden Yards, catcher Paul Lo Duca was already planning on being in Baltimore on May 17, the day the Preakness Stakes is run at Pimlico Race Course.

Lo Duca will soon know whether he will pull double duty - as a player and a horseman - on Preakness Day.

Along with former major leaguer Rob Murphy, Lo Duca co-owns Golden Spikes, a 3-year-old who could race in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The owners are weighing their options for the horse, which finished second in the Illinois Derby.

Under consideration are the Peter Pan Stakes, which will be run May 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., or the Preakness. Even if Golden Spikes runs in the Preakness, Lo Duca isn't sure his colt - or any other entrant - could outrun Kentucky Derby victor Big Brown.

"We want to win," Lo Duca said, "but you can't beat that horse, let's be realistic."