(My Sportsbook) - Brett Myers takes aim at his first win since August 31, as the wild card hopeful
Philadelphia Phillies continue a three-game series Saturday versus the
Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium.
In the opener of the set of Friday, Jimmy Rollins extended his franchise-best hitting streak to 34 games with a 2-for-5 game and Ryan Howard added a solo homer, as Philadelphia edged Washington, 4-3.
Chase Utley went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Phillies, who closed within one game of wild card-leading Houston with two contests remaining in the regular season. The Astros lost to the Cubs on Friday.
Cory Lidle (13-11) picked up the win, allowing just two runs -- one earned -- on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. Lidle also struck out eight batters and walked one.
Billy Wagner picked up his 37th save despite giving up a run in 1 1/3 innings.
Livan Hernandez (15-10) was saddled with the loss after surrendering four runs and 10 hits in seven innings.
Myers is 0-2 with three no-decisions in his last five starts. He was not involved in the decision in his last outing versus the Mets on September 26, despite allowing only two runs on four hits in seven innings.
The righthander is just 3-5 in his career against the Washington/Montreal franchise with a 4.94 ERA in 11 games, including 10 starts. He has faced the Nationals three times this season and is 0-1 with a 2.75 earned run average.
John Patterson counters for Washington. The righthander escaped with a no- decision in his last start against the Mets on September 25 after giving up four runs on four hits and four walks in six innings of work. Four days earlier, he was pounded for five runs and 10 hits in seven innings in a loss to San Francisco.
Patterson is 6-2 at home this season with a 2.70 earned run average in 18 starts.
He is 1-0 versus Philadelphia this season with a stellar 0.84 ERA in three starts. For his career, Patterson is 1-1 against the Phillies.
Rollins' hitting streak is the longest in the majors since Florida's Luis Castillo hit in 35 straight during the 2002 campaign.
The Phillies lead the season series, 9-8. Philadelphia captured 12 of the 19 meetings between the two teams in 2004.
