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Jul 3, 2010 - 5:06 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

New York (44-35) at Washington (35-45), 4:10 p.m. EDT

A little bit of help could go a long way for Stephen Strasburg. The Washington Nationals' punchless lineup, however, is giving the phenom little support.

Hoping for any production from the offense, Strasburg attempts to avoid his first three-game losing streak as the Nationals host the New York Mets on Saturday.

Strasburg (2-2, 2.27 ERA), who turns 22 later this month, has seen his last three starts result in losses for Washington (35-46). He's gone 0-2 with a 2.33 ERA while accumulating 26 strikeouts in 19 1-3 innings.

The results of those contests could have been different if the Nationals provided any consistent scoring for the hard-throwing right-hander. The offense, which has a .231 average in losing 15 of 20, has provided him with one total run of support during his last three outings, including two one-run losses.

"I feel for him. I feel for our whole ballclub," manager Jim Riggleman told the team's official website.

Strasburg received no help again Monday, pitching six shutout innings before an error in the seventh contributed to him allowing a season-high four runs in a 5-0 loss at Atlanta. He struck out seven in 6 1-3 innings.

"I understand I'm not going to have lights-out stuff every time," said Strasburg, who is facing the Mets (45-35) for the first time. "I'm human."

Washington has scored six runs in three games and failed to build off its 2-1 victory Thursday with Friday's 5-3 defeat. Three of its nine hits came in a ninth-inning rally before Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez picked off Roger Bernadina at second to end the game.

R.A. Dickey (6-1, 2.98) is a key reason the Mets are within two games of first-place Atlanta in the NL East, but he's taking the mound following his first defeat with the team.

The knuckleballer surrendered five runs and five hits in five innings of a 10-3 loss to Florida on Monday, snapping a six-start winning streak in which he compiled a 2.23 ERA.

Manager Jerry Manuel feels part of the 35-year-old right-hander's success has been having backup catcher Henry Blanco complete the battery. They're expected to start together for the fourth straight time when Dickey starts, and this would be Blanco's sixth start in Dickey's nine overall outings.

He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in three outings while throwing to Blanco.

"I like Blanco and Dickey," Manuel told the team's official website. "It's a little better match for us catching him, a little easier for Henry than (Rod) Barajas. When Barajas catches him, it's such work that we really don't feel we have him for the next day."

Dickey is 0-1 with an 8.38 ERA in three games - two starts - against the Nationals. He turned in his best effort against them at Nationals Park on May 19, hours after being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. He yielded two runs in six innings while not getting a decision in a 5-3 loss.