| SEASON | CAREER |
| W11 | 85 |
| L5 | 59 |
| G20 | 201 |
| IP138.2 | 1300.0 |
| BB39 | 331 |
| SO138 | 1229 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W5 | 11 |
| L4 | 18 |
| G21 | 60 |
| IP97.1 | 269.0 |
| BB28 | 95 |
| SO67 | 169 |
Despite all the positives from the season's first four months for the Washington Nationals , the last-place Philadelphia Phillies are still giving them trouble.
Trying to avoid being swept for the first time in more than six weeks, the NL East-leading Nationals go for a rare win over Cole Hamels on Thursday night.
Washington (61-42) entered this series having won eight of nine - averaging 6.9 runs in those victories - but it has been unable to get much going offensively against the Phillies (47-57). In Tuesday's opener, Cliff Lee and three relievers combined for a five-hitter in an 8-0 win, then Vance Worley and the bullpen limited the Nationals to seven hits in a 3-2 victory Wednesday.
Washington, which still owns a 2 1/2-game division lead over Atlanta, is 4-4 against a Philadelphia team 14 1/2 games back. It is 21-12 against the rest of the division.
The Nationals have their work cut out for them to avoid being swept for the first time since dropping three to the New York Yankees from June 15-17.
Hamels (11-5, 3.31 ERA) has gone eight innings in winning each of his two starts against Washington this season, permitting one total run while striking out 16. That kind of mastery over the Nationals is nothing new, as he's 9-2 with a 2.15 ERA in his last 14 starts against them and 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last nine outings in the nation's capital.
The left-hander has allowed nine hits against Washington this year, and Bryce Harper has three of them in six at-bats.
Harper had two singles Wednesday after going 2 for 24 with 10 strikeouts in his final six July games, while Adam LaRoche drove him in with a single. LaRoche, who is 4 for 19 with three homers lifetime against Hamels, is batting .394 with three home runs and seven RBIs during a season-high nine-game hitting streak.
Philadelphia scored all its runs Wednesday on solo homers - two from Jimmy Rollins and one by Nate Schierholtz .
Schierholtz started in right field and went 2 for 5 a day after being acquired from San Francisco in the deal that sent Hunter Pence to the Giants.
"We've got some life to us," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "We're having fun. We've got some guys that are trying to really show something, and hopefully we can get better."
Rollins also homered Tuesday and is 6 for 15 with three doubles against scheduled Washington starter Ross Detwiler (5-4, 3.24), who will make his first start against the Phillies since yielding three hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 3-0 win Sept. 20.
Detwiler, though, lasted just 4 2-3 innings Friday at Milwaukee, allowing four runs and seven hits in a 6-0 loss. It was his first defeat since May 19, a span of seven starts.
"I don't think you can feel too good about that," said the southpaw, who had a 2.35 ERA in his previous five outings.
Hamels is also coming off a shaky performance. He struggled mightily with his control in Atlanta on Friday, setting a career high with six walks in a season-low five innings. He allowed five runs - three earned - and four hits while striking out seven in a 6-1 loss.
The start came two days after he signed a $144 million, six-year contract extension, and he thought some of the emotions that came with the massive deal factored in his subpar showing.
"It was a long week," Hamels said. "I don't think I'll have to experience that again."
AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPSERAQSSOBBSVBSBAAWHIPE
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Joe Blanton | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Cole Hamels | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Cliff Lee | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| John Mayberry | 5 | .400 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .400 | 1.400 | 1.000 |
| Hunter Pence | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Placido Polanco | 5 | .200 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .429 | .629 | .200 |
| Jimmy Rollins | 15 | .400 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .400 | 1.000 | .600 |
| Carlos Ruiz | 8 | .250 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .333 | .708 | .375 |
| Shane Victorino | 13 | .231 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .231 | .462 | .231 |
| Ty Wigginton | 5 | .200 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .400 | .200 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Rick Ankiel | 7 | .571 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .625 | 1.768 | 1.143 |
| Roger Bernadina | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .000 |
| Brett Carroll | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Mark DeRosa | 14 | .143 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .200 | .486 | .286 |
| Ian Desmond | 17 | .235 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | .278 | .807 | .529 |
| Ross Detwiler | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Danny Espinosa | 7 | .286 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .286 | .572 | .286 |
| Jesus Flores | 14 | .071 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .071 | .142 | .071 |
| Adam LaRoche | 16 | .250 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5 | .333 | 1.208 | .875 |
| Xavier Nady | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Wilson Ramos | 4 | .250 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .500 | .250 |
| Chad Tracy | 8 | .250 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .333 | .958 | .625 |
| Jayson Werth | 6 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .143 | .143 | .000 |
| Ryan Zimmerman | 52 | .269 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 | .321 | .763 | .442 |
 Philadelphia Phillies |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| July 26, 2012 | Placido Polanco | 15-Day DL | Lower back inflammation |
| July 09, 2012 | Raul Valdes | 15-Day DL | Strained right hip |
| June 25, 2012 | Brian Schneider | 15-Day DL | Sprained right ankle - out 3-5 weeks |
| June 25, 2012 | Brian Schneider | 15-Day DL | Sprained right ankle - out 3-5 weeks |
| June 07, 2012 | Freddy Galvis | 15-Day DL | Lower back strain |
| June 05, 2012 | Placido Polanco | Day-to-Day | Left game - left index finger laceration |
 Washington Nationals |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| July 29, 2012 | Adam LaRoche | Day-to-Day | Left game - Back tightness |
| July 22, 2012 | Ian Desmond | 15-Day DL | Torn left oblique |
| July 18, 2012 | Jhonatan Solano | 15-Day DL | Strained right oblique |
| July 01, 2012 | Chien-Ming Wang | 15-Day DL | Strained right hip |
| June 30, 2012 | Stephen Strasburg | Day-to-Day | Left game - heat exhaustion |
| June 24, 2012 | Xavier Nady | 15-Day DL | Right wrist tendinitis |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly three months ago, Jayson Werth broke his left wrist trying to make a catch in a game the Washington Nationals lost. It was a memorable game. Cole Hamels hit rookie Bryce Harper with a pitch and Harper stole home.
At the time, the Nationals were 18-10 and led the NL East by a half-game. Without Werth, Washington went 43-32 and increased its lead by two games.
Werth returned to the lineup Thursday night and joined in the fun. He had a single and an RBI groundout in the Nationals' 3-0 win over Hamels and the Phillies.
Ross Detwiler pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and Adam LaRoche had three hits and two RBIs.
Werth was eager to return, but proud of how the team did in his absence.
"It wasn't hard to watch. It was way easier to watch than if they weren't winning," he said.
Detwiler (6-4) won for the second time in his last 11 starts. He gave up three singles and retired his final 14 batters, finishing with three strikeouts and two walks.
Sean Burnett tossed a perfect eighth and Tyler Clippard worked a hitless ninth for his 21st save in 23 chances. He walked two but struck out pinch-hitter Ryan Howard for the third out.
Howard is in a 2-for-20 slump.
Detwiler enjoyed having Werth back
"He's a leader for us - especially against his old team. He always seems to do just a little more against them," Detwiler said. "You know what he does with the bat - that's why he gets paid."
Hamels (11-6) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings. The All-Star lefty has one win in his past seven starts and has lost both outings since signing a $144 million, six-year contract last month.
Hamels won his previous two starts against Washington this season, giving up one earned run in 16 innings.
"Nice to beat that guy. He's tough," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.
Werth spent 11 games on a minor league rehab assignment and got to appreciate the Nationals' system even more.
"This team's got a lot of depth. Playing the games in the minor leagues, you can see what kind of talent we have down there," he said. "We're pretty stacked. I like our chances for years to come."
LaRoche had a second-inning home run, his 20th, to go with a run-scoring single in the third and a single in the sixth. He was thrown out by Phillies right fielder John Mayberry Jr. when he tried to score on Steve Lombardozzi 's fly ball.
Werth batted sixth - one spot behind LaRoche.
"Regardless of what's going on statistically, he's stealing bases and doing things in the outfield," LaRoche said.
"It's huge to have him back, having him back in the lineup, back in the outfield, back in here. We've been waiting a couple of months for this."
Philadelphia's best chance to score came in the second, but Mayberry was cut down at the plate by Harper when he tried to score on Michael Martinez 's single to right.
Two days after trading off Shane Victorino to Los Angeles and Hunter Pence to San Francisco, the new-look Phillies are 2-1 and still last in the NL East.
"I think people will still come to see us play. I hope they do, because I think we're definitely going to keep trying to improve our team, and keep trying to improve what we've got," manager Charlie Manuel said.
LaRoche has hit in 10 straight games and is batting .432 during the stretch.
Werth singled after LaRoche's homer. He drove in a run in the third on an infield out.
"It's like I never missed a step," Werth said.
NOTES: Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann was named NL pitcher of the month for July. He joins RHP Stephen Strasburg (April) and LHP Gio Gonzalez (May) to give the Nationals the most teammates to win the monthly award since the Houston Astros had four in 1979. ... Washington placed RHP Henry Rodriguez on the disabled list with a lower back strain. ... Nationals LF Michael Morse has an 11-game hitting streak. ... The Phillies open a three-game series against Arizona on Friday. RHP Joe Blanton (8-9, 4.59 ERA) faces RHP Ian Kennedy (9-8, 4.20). ... Washington and Miami play a doubleheader on Friday. LHP John Lannan (1-0, 2.57) and Gonzalez (13-5, 3.27) will pitch for the Nationals against LHP Brad Hand (no record) and RHP Josh Johnson (6-7, 4.04). Lannan and Hand are being recalled from the minors to start the first game.
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Philadelphia Phillies