Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals MLB Live Streaming Online Coverage Radio Station May 31, 2011. Cliff Lee is returning to the place where he earned his only road victory of the season and continued his domination of the Washington Nationals.
He'll try to improve to 4-0 against the Nationals when the Philadelphia Phillies look to defeat Washington for the seventh straight time Tuesday night.
Lee (4-4, 3.50 ERA) is 1/3 with a 4.55 ERA in five road outings. The victory was a three-hitter in which he struck out 12 Nationals in a 4-0 win April 14.
He's posted two straight shutouts over the Nationals (22-31) and has a 1.44 ERA in winning his three career starts against them. Lee has fared well against Jerry Hairston (2 for 14), Michael Morse (2 for 10) and Rick Ankiel (0 for 8 with four strikeouts).
The left-hander is seeking his first three-start win streak of 2011 after allowing four runs and a season-high 10 hits in a 10-4 win over Cincinnati on Thursday. Lee struck out eight to bring his season total to 86 -- five behind teammate Roy Halladay for the major league lead.
Halladay struck out five and beat Washington for the 10th straight time despite allowing three homers in a 5-4 victory Monday. He had given up two home runs in his first 11 starts.
Philadelphia (34-20) has won every meeting with Washington this season since losing the first one 7-4 on April 12.
Manager Charlie Manuel inserted regulars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz back into the lineup after giving the trio the day off in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Mets. Howard homered and drove in two runs and Ruiz added two hits, improving his average to .406 during a nine-game hitting streak against the Nationals.
The Phillies scored two runs in the seventh inning Monday to go ahead for good. Howard had a tying RBI single and Raul Ibanez followed with a sacrifice fly.
"It was a hard-fought game by both teams, back and forth," Howard said.
Morse, Danny Espinosa and Laynce Nix all went deep for Washington, which has lost eight of nine.
"We're starting to swing the bat much better," manager Jim Riggleman said. "As I've said, I'm very pleased with the way we play. We play hard, we play good defense and we're starting to swing the bat a little better."
Utley went 0 for 3 and is 5 for 24 after missing nearly the first two months due to right knee tendinitis.
The second baseman, however, is 13 for 28 against Jason Marquis (5-2, 4.26), scheduled to start Tuesday. Marquis is 0-5 with a 9.49 ERA in six starts against the Phillies since joining the Nationals in 2010.
Washington is 7-3 in his starts this season, with Marquis going 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three at home. The right-hander lost Wednesday at Milwaukee after yielding four runs over six innings in a 6-4 defeat.
Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond was held out of Monday's starting lineup to rest, although he entered as part of a double switch in the seventh inning. Riggleman said Desmond has some "aches and pains."
He'll try to improve to 4-0 against the Nationals when the Philadelphia Phillies look to defeat Washington for the seventh straight time Tuesday night.
7:05 PM ET, May 31, 2011
Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
He's posted two straight shutouts over the Nationals (22-31) and has a 1.44 ERA in winning his three career starts against them. Lee has fared well against Jerry Hairston (2 for 14), Michael Morse (2 for 10) and Rick Ankiel (0 for 8 with four strikeouts).
The left-hander is seeking his first three-start win streak of 2011 after allowing four runs and a season-high 10 hits in a 10-4 win over Cincinnati on Thursday. Lee struck out eight to bring his season total to 86 -- five behind teammate Roy Halladay for the major league lead.
Halladay struck out five and beat Washington for the 10th straight time despite allowing three homers in a 5-4 victory Monday. He had given up two home runs in his first 11 starts.
Philadelphia (34-20) has won every meeting with Washington this season since losing the first one 7-4 on April 12.
Manager Charlie Manuel inserted regulars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz back into the lineup after giving the trio the day off in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Mets. Howard homered and drove in two runs and Ruiz added two hits, improving his average to .406 during a nine-game hitting streak against the Nationals.
The Phillies scored two runs in the seventh inning Monday to go ahead for good. Howard had a tying RBI single and Raul Ibanez followed with a sacrifice fly.
"It was a hard-fought game by both teams, back and forth," Howard said.
Morse, Danny Espinosa and Laynce Nix all went deep for Washington, which has lost eight of nine.
"We're starting to swing the bat much better," manager Jim Riggleman said. "As I've said, I'm very pleased with the way we play. We play hard, we play good defense and we're starting to swing the bat a little better."
Utley went 0 for 3 and is 5 for 24 after missing nearly the first two months due to right knee tendinitis.
The second baseman, however, is 13 for 28 against Jason Marquis (5-2, 4.26), scheduled to start Tuesday. Marquis is 0-5 with a 9.49 ERA in six starts against the Phillies since joining the Nationals in 2010.
Washington is 7-3 in his starts this season, with Marquis going 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three at home. The right-hander lost Wednesday at Milwaukee after yielding four runs over six innings in a 6-4 defeat.
Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond was held out of Monday's starting lineup to rest, although he entered as part of a double switch in the seventh inning. Riggleman said Desmond has some "aches and pains."
