• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Phils aim to put back-to-back wins together versus Nats

May 4, 2011 - 2:40 PM (Sports Network) - After scoring just one run in a 14-inning loss Sunday, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel decided to reorder his roster for yesterday's opener with the Nationals.

The early returns look promising.

Philadelphia goes for its fifth victory in six games overall and 20th in the past 23 versus Washington at Citizens Bank Park in the middle portion of a three-game series between the National League East rivals on Wednesday night.

With Chase Utley yet to play this season due to right knee tendinitis, Manuel had moved usual leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins down to the three hole, below Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco. After Sunday's extra-innings loss to the Mets on Sunday, Manuel moved Rollins back to the top of the order, while moving both Victorino and Polanco down a spot ahead of cleanup hitter Ryan Howard.

Manuel's club had modest success with switch, with Rollins and Victorino both turning in two-hit games and driving in a run each as part of a 12-hit attack in Tuesday's 4-1 victory. It even had a ripple-down effect as slumping outfielder Raul Ibanez snapped an 0-for-35 slump with a pair of doubles, his first hits since April 18.

"I've always liked Rollins and Victorino batting one and two, that's how we manufacture runs," said Manuel. "That's when we've had our run-producing years."

A solid outing by Cole Hamels also helped. The left-hander tossed his eighth career complete game, yielding a run and five hits. He also had a pair of hits, including his first career triple.

It was also an up-and-down return to Philadelphia for Jayson Werth, who had spent the previous four seasons with the Phillies and was part of their 2008 championship club before signing a seven-year, $126 million deal with the Nats. He received a mix of cheers and boos, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

"I was happy to be back in this stadium. It's is an atmosphere like no other place," said Werth. "This is a very fun place to play whether you're the home team or the visiting team."

Michael Morse belted a solo homer in the seventh for the Nationals, who had won four of five coming in but opened up a nine-game road swing with a loss. Livan Hernandez took the loss, but his 6 1/3-inning effort kept Washington as the only club left in the league that has gotten at least five innings out of its starters in every game played so far this year.

Looking to extend that streak is Jason Marquis as he continues to put an injury-plagued 2010 season behind him and goes for a fourth consecutive winning start this evening.

The right-hander went just 2-9 with a 6.60 earned run average in 13 starts with the Nationals last year, his first with the club, but is 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA through five starts in 2011. He is coming off the fourth shutout of his career as he outdueled San Francisco's Tim Lincecum in a 3-0 victory on Friday. Marquis worked around five hits and struck out seven.

"I just feel like I'm getting more consistent as time goes on," Marquis said. "I'm learning more about myself day-by-day, start-by-start. I'm just working hard in between starts to get better and maintain where I'm at."

The 32-year-old has faced the Phillies 24 times in his career, including 17 starts, but is 5-7 against them with a save and 5.34 ERA.

Rollins will hope his move back to the top of the order will help him in this matchup as he is batting just .146 (6-for-41) versus Marquis.

With Joe Blanton out with a right elbow injury, Vance Worley will replace Philadelphia's No. 5 hurler for a second straight start.

Worley made the most of his first chance on Friday versus the Mets in his season debut. Making his third career start, the 23-year-old righty scattered two hits and four walks over six scoreless innings, striking out five in a 10-3 win.

Worley earned just the second victory of his big league career, and the first came in relief against the Nationals last season.

Philadelphia has won 33 of its past 43 against the Nationals overall.