Boston @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( May 30, 2016 ) Boston 7, Baltimore 2

Daniel Murphy will look to add to his record-setting month when the Washington Nationals visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in the middle contest of a three-game series. Murphy ran his hitting streak to nine games with a homer among three hits and three RBIs to lead Washington to a 4-3 victory in the series opener.

Murphy has 45 hits in May to shatter the club record for most hits (40) in a month and lifted his batting average to .395 overall and .413 in May. Washington got a scare when reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper was hit by a pitch and had to leave Monday's game with a right knee contusion. The Phillies have scored only eight runs during a season high-tying four-game losing streak and have dropped eight of their last 10. "We're starving for offense," said Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin, who sends Aaron Nola to the mound Tuesday against Joe Ross.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Joe Ross (4-4, 2.52 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Aaron Nola (4-3, 2.86)

Ross finally put an end to a four-start losing streak with a steller performance against St. Louis on Thursday, limiting the Cardinals to one run on six hits over seven innings. It was the seventh time in nine outings that Ross has permitted two runs or fewer, although he has surrendered one homer in each of his last four turns. Ross won his lone career start against the Phillies on April 15 with a dazzling effort, giving up three hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings.

Nola was not particularly sharp but managed to escape with a victory last time out after giving up four runs (two earned) over six innings in Detroit. It marked the seventh straight outing of yielding three runs or fewer for Nola, who has split a pair of decisions against the Nationals this season. He was clubbed for seven runs over five innings in an 8-1 loss on April 16 but bounced back with seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball 12 days later.

WALK-OFFS

1. Murphy has multiple hits in 25 of his 50 games this season.

2. Phillies 1B Ryan Howard had an RBI double Monday for his third hit in his last 34 at-bats.

3. Nationals LF Jayson Werth has five RBIs in the past two games after not driving in a run in his previous 12 contests.

PREDICTION: Phillies 4, Nationals 3