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Red-hot Nationals open three-game set with Phillies

Sep 1, 2008 - 2:28 PM Philadelphia (75-62) at Washington (52-85), 3:05 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Don't look now, but the Washington Nationals are baseball's hottest team.

Riding a major league-high, six-game winning streak, the Nationals open a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.

Though they stand worlds away from playoff contention and are one loss from being mathematically eliminated in the National League East, the Nationals could become a potent club primed to play spoiler against playoff-hopefuls such as the Phillies.

Philadelphia stands one game behind the first-place New York Mets (76-61) in the division, but 5 1/2 paces in back of the Milwaukee Brewers (80-56) in the wild-card hunt.

The Nationals, who are 24 games behind the Mets, send Tim Redding (9-8, 4.54 ERA) to the mound with hopes he can win his second straight start.

Coming off a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in which he allowed three runs in six innings, Redding has pitched at least six innings in six of his last 10 outings and has held opponents to three runs or less in five of those.

The 30-year-old righthander is 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA in four starts against the Phillies this season.

Philadelphia, which is 8-4 against Washington this season, counters with Kyle Kendrick (11-7, 4.83). The righthander has yielded three runs or less in six of his past 10 outings and is coming off a solid effort against the Mets on Wednesday, allowing two runs in five efficient innings in a no-decision.

On July 31, he held the Nationals to two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 frames in a 8-4 victory.