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Nationals-Brewers Preview

Jul 23, 2010 - 3:54 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Washington (41-54) at Milwaukee (43-53), 8:10 p.m. EDT

The road has not been kind to Washington this season. However, some success in their last series should give the Nationals momentum heading to a park where wins have not come easy for them.

The Nationals try to match a season high with their third straight victory Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Washington (42-54) is 17-33 on the road and 3-4 on a 10-game trip after winning the final two to split a four-game set with Cincinnati. The Nationals have not won three straight overall since June 8-10, or on the road since April 27-30.

"We needed to put a couple together," manager Jim Riggleman said. "We needed to show ourselves we can play with these other teams and put a few together."

A resurgent offense has helped the Nationals get back on track. Washington has scored 22 runs in its last three games after totaling two in the previous three.

The Nationals hope the bats stay hot at Milwaukee, where they are 2-9 since a three-game sweep in 2006 produced their last winning series at Miller Park. Washington, however, scored 20 runs while winning two of three at home against the Brewers (44-53) from April 16-18.

Washington likely will need Adam Dunn to get going. Playing amidst trade rumors, Dunn is 1 for 18 with nine strikeouts in his last five games. His only hit during that span was a home run in the Nationals' 7-1 win over the Reds on Thursday.

Dunn is 1 for 10 against Milwaukee this season.

Teammate Ryan Zimmerman is batting .370 with 11 RBIs in his last 14 games, and 4 for 9 with four RBIs versus the Brewers in 2010.

Though Washington's Craig Stammen (2-4, 5.50 ERA) will try to avoid a third straight loss Friday, he allowed a run and struck out six in six innings of a 1-0 defeat at Florida on Sunday.

"I take some positives out of the way I pitched," Stammen told the Nationals' official website.

The right-hander went 1-0 with a 6.55 ERA in two starts against Milwaukee as a rookie last season.

Washington gets its first look at Milwaukee's Chris Narveson (8-6, 5.83) in a starting role. The left-hander rebounded from a dismal performance and gave up two runs in six innings of a 6-3 win at Atlanta on Saturday.

"I know that my season has been a little up and down, but you try to learn from it," Narveson told the Brewers' official website.

Narveson looks to give Milwaukee a second straight strong start after Yovani Gallardo came off the disabled list to throw six scoreless innings in a 3-2 win at Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Brewers pitchers had allowed 26 runs in their previous two games.

Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder each homered as the Brewers concluded a 4-4 trip.

Four of Fielder's six hits in the last six games have left the park. He has six career home runs against the Nationals, but is 3 for 20 without one in his last six games versus Washington.