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May 19, 2010 - 4:57 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

New York (19-20) at Washington (20-19), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Though Livan Hernandez hasn't needed much run support, even he wasn't able to avoid becoming a casualty of the Washington Nationals' recent struggles at the plate. Adam Dunn's absence certainly isn't helping.

Losers of five straight, the Nationals hope to have Dunn back to help their faltering lineup as they send Hernandez to the mound in the opener a two-game series with the New York Mets on Wednesday night.

Washington (20-20) is coming off a nine-game road trip that began with two wins in three games against New York (19-21) but ended with its longest skid of the season. The Nationals have scored 10 runs during their losing streak, falling 3-2 to St. Louis on Tuesday night, and have been without Dunn the past two games due to flulike symptoms.

Dunn is batting .252 with a team-high nine homers and 19 RBIs.

"I think, knowing Adam, there's a good chance he'll be in there (Wednesday)," manager Jim Riggleman told the Nationals' official website.

Prior to its rut, Washington had its best performance at the plate this season in beating Colorado 14-6 on Thursday night. In the Nationals' next game, Hernandez (4-2, 1.46 ERA) was outdueled by Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez in a 6-2 loss in the opener of a day-night doubleheader Saturday.

Hernandez, who surrendered three runs in six innings, will pitch on three days' rest because that doubleheader forced Washington to alter its rotation. Hernandez has gotten three runs or fewer to work with in each of his last five outings, but he's still managed to earn two wins.

The veteran right-hander, who made 23 starts for the Mets last year, is 12-13 with a 4.43 ERA in 33 starts against them. Hernandez is facing a Mets lineup that is having its own problems.

New York has been held to three runs or fewer in four of its last six games. The Mets lost 3-2 on Tuesday night when Atlanta scored the winning run in the ninth inning on a throwing error by third baseman David Wright, who also struck out three times.

"It's a tough, humbling game sometimes, and right now it is for me," said Wright, who has struck out a major league-worst 55 times. "It's tough, when somebody goes out there and is playing as poorly as I am right now and really costing us, both offensively and defensively."

New York is expected to give the ball to R.A. Dickey in this game. He is taking one of the two vacancies in the rotation due to Jonathon Niese's hamstring injury and the demotion of Oliver Perez to the bullpen.

Dickey made one start and 34 relief appearances for Minnesota last year, going 1-1 with a 4.62 ERA. The knuckleballer went 4-2 with a 2.33 ERA in eight starts with Triple-A Buffalo.

Dickey is 0-1 with a 17.18 ERA in one start and one relief appearance against the Nationals franchise.

New York hopes Rod Barajas will feel healthy enough to be Dickey's batterymate after missing Tuesday's game due to a stomach virus. Barajas has been one of the Mets' most clutch hitters, batting .273 with a team-best nine homers and 22 RBIs.

He is 6 for 20 (.300) with two homers and four RBIs in six games against the Nationals this season. Washington won four of those contests, which were all played in New York.