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Phillies-Nationals Preview

Sep 10, 2009 - 4:56 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Philadelphia (78-58) at Washington (47-91), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies are suddenly having problems of all kinds with their pitching, but they certainly can't complain about what Joe Blanton has given them lately.

Blanton will hope to turn in a 12th consecutive quality start and lead the Phillies to a three-game sweep of the last-place Washington Nationals as the team finishes its road trip Thursday night.

The reigning World Series champions have a six-game lead atop the NL East, but they also have a few concerns going into the season's final stretch. The most pressing problem could be in the bullpen as closer Brad Lidge continues to struggle.

After Lidge - who has blown 10 saves this year after converting all 48 chances last year - loaded the bases while recording one out in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 5-3 win, Ryan Madson finished that game, then earned a second straight save in Wednesday's 6-5 victory.

"Lidge will get the chance to save some games for us," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "(Wednesday), I wanted Madson."

Cliff Lee gave up all five runs Wednesday, and the left-hander has a 9.60 ERA in his last three starts after going 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA in his first five outings after being acquired from Cleveland.

But the Phillies (79-58) have still won the first two games of this series after getting swept in a four-game set at Houston.

"We're a first-place team. We're world champs. We know our identity and who we are," outfielder Jayson Werth said. "It's a long season. Just because for a couple of weeks, we haven't played like we played before doesn't matter. It's where you finish."

Blanton (9-6, 3.80 ERA) seems primed for a great finish, as his streak of 11 straight quality starts is the second-longest active run in the majors behind Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez. Blanton is 5-2 with a 2.33 ERA in that stretch, which dates to the beginning of July.

Although he hasn't faced Washington since May 15, the right-hander has had difficulty against the Nationals this year, going 0-1 with a 7.63 ERA in three starts. Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn are a combined 8 for 15 with three homers off Blanton in those games.

Blanton's loss was one of Philadelphia's two defeats in 14 games against Washington this year. The Phillies have won their last nine against the worst team in the majors, including their last six at Nationals Park.

The Nationals (47-92) have dropped 10 of 11 overall, and their chances don't look much better with Livan Hernandez (7-10, 5.44) set to take the mound. The right-hander spent most of the year with the New York Mets before they waived him last month, and his teams have lost 13 of his last 15 starts.

Hernandez is 2-9 with a 6.65 ERA over that span. After notching quality starts in his first two outings with Washington after the team signed him last month, he struggled against Florida on Saturday, allowing six runs in five innings of a 9-5 defeat.

In his only start against the Phillies this year, Hernandez gave up seven runs in three-plus innings of a 7-2 Mets loss July 3.