Philadelphia @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 1, 2016 ) Washington 7, Philadelphia 2

Washington Nationals fireballer Stephen Strasburg has run roughshod over the competition for much of this season - and against the Philadelphia Phillies throughout the majority of his career. The 27-year-old fireballer will look to extend both impressive runs on Friday, when the National League East rivals open a three-game series in the nation's capital.

Strasburg has won 12 straight decisions dating to last season and sports a scintillating 7-2 career record versus the Phillies while holding them to a .192 batting average. Strasburg, however, has yet to face Philadelphia in any of the first three series of 2016, with the Nationals outscoring their foe by a 16-6 margin to sweep the last set from May 30-June 1. While Washington's bid to bring out the broom against the Chicago White Sox fell short with a 3-1 setback on Thursday, the free-falling Phillies have dropped 14 of their last 19 to fall seven games behind the first-place Nationals. Odubel Herrera is 7-for-14 (.500) with two runs scored during his four-game hitting streak and has hit safely in eight of the nine meetings with Washington this season.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NBC-10 (Philadelphia), MASN, WUSA 9 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.80 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (9-0, 2.85)

Hellickson has authored a pair of gems against Washington after struggling in his initial two starts versus the club. The 29-year-old scattered two hits over seven innings in a 3-0 win on April 27 before yielding just one run and three hits in the same stretch of a no-decision on May 30. Hellickson enters the series opener with some momentum, posting a 2-1 mark with a 2.89 ERA in his last six starts.

Strasburg is expected to be no worse for wear after leaving Saturday's start due to a cramp in his calf. The top overall pick of the 2009 draft, he struck out 10 versus Cincinnati for his fourth double-digit performance in his last six outings. Strasburg has struggled with the home-run ball, however, as he has been taken deep seven times in his last six turns.

WALK-OFFS

1. Philadelphia 3B Maikel Franco is just 4-for-30 (.133) versus Washington this season.

2. Nationals RF Bryce Harper is 8-for-19 with three RBIs and three runs scored in his last four games.

3. The Phillies selected California high school OF Mickey Moniak with the first overall pick of the 2016 MLB draft on Thursday.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Phillies 1