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Nats hope to keep swinging a powerful bat vs. Phils' Lee

May 31, 2011 - 3:03 PM (Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals were able to get to Phillies ace Roy Halladay for three home runs in a losing cause on Memorial Day.

Now the Nationals will take their swings at Philadelphia co-ace Cliff Lee tonight in the second installment of a three-game series between National League East inhabitants in DC.

Washington has lost three in a row and eight of nine games, and is coming off Monday's 5-4 loss in which it reached Halladay for four runs and 10 hits over seven innings. Halladay still came away with the win (7-3) after Washington's bullpen gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh. Ryan Howard had an RBI single and Raul Ibanez lifted a sacrifice fly to score Chase Utley for a 5-4 lead. Livan Hernandez gave up four runs in 6 1/3 innings and Sean Burnett was saddled with the loss and his fourth blown save.

"We're staying in games, but in the end you just want to win," Nats infielder Alex Cora said after going 2-for-4 with a double.

Danny Espinosa, Laynce Nix and Michael Morse all homered for the Nationals, who are 1-3 on a six-game homestand. Nats shortstop Ian Desmond did not start on Monday because of stomach aches and is expected to be back in the lineup this evening.

Coming off just his second loss of the season, Nationals starting pitcher Jason Marquis aims to get back on track tonight against a Phillies team he has struggled against in the past. Marquis was 5-1 in seven starts until losing at Milwaukee in last Wednesday's 6-4 setback in which he allowed four runs in six innings of work.

Marquis has allowed four or more runs in three of his previous five starts and is 5-2 with a 4.26 earned run average in 10 starts this season. He sports a perfect 3-0 mark and a 1.59 ERA in three starts at Nationals Park this season and will face the Phillies for a second time in 2011. He lost a 7-4 decision back on May 4 in south Philly, as he allowed a season-high seven runs, six of which were earned, and 10 hits in five innings.

The right-hander is just 5-8 with a 5.61 ERA in 25 career games (18 starts) against the Phillies.

Philadelphia has won eight of its last 11 games and pushed its mark to 3-1 on a nine-game road trip with Monday's come-from-behind win. Howard and Raul Ibanez hit back-to-back home runs during a three-run fourth inning, while reliever Ryan Madson remained perfect in 12 save opportunities this season with two strikeouts in the ninth inning. Madson has filled in nicely for injured closer Brad Lidge, who may not resume his role upon his return.

"We're close to really being healthy," Phils manager Charlie Manuel said on the club's site. "We should be at 100 percent and our offense should pick up. Our pitching has been there all year. We could really get into a season where we play real good baseball. It's kind of up to us. We're the ones that have got to make it happen."

The Phillies will also visit Pittsburgh for three games on this road trip. They have won three of four road games since losing four straight as the guest and are 15-10 away from south Philly this season.

Lee, meanwhile, hasn't been over the .500 mark since tossing a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts in a 4-0 win at Washington back on April 14 to run his record to 2-1. More than a month and a half later Lee will take the mound at Nationals Park hoping to extend his personal two-start winning streak.

Lee is 4-4 with a 3.50 ERA in 11 starts and has lasted eight innings during his personal winning streak, including a 10-4 win over Cincinnati on Thursday. Lee was reached for four runs and 10 hits with eight K's and just one walk to improve to 3-0 lifetime against the Nationals. The left-hander owns a 1.44 ERA in three career outings in this series, but is 1-3 in five road starts with his only win as the visitor coming against Washington.

The Phillies have won six of seven meetings with the Nationals this season and are 18-7 in the previous 25 matchups between the two NL East foes.