Philadelphia @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2014 ) Philadelphia 9, Washington 8

A.J. Burnett has only one victory since July 11, but that win came against the Washington Nationals - and in dominant fashion. The veteran takes aim at the Nationals again Saturday, when the Philadelphia Phillies continue their three-game set in the nation's capital. Burnett is coming off a poor outing, but he struck out a season-high 12 Nationals over seven hits on Aug. 25, allowing one run and three hits in a 3-2 win.

Tanner Roark took the loss for Washington that day but will get a chance for revenge on Saturday as he seeks to bounce back from two straight losses. Roark also hopes to help the Nationals recover from a tough loss in Friday's series opener - a 9-8 defeat in which the Phillies rallied from a 7-2 deficit to win in 11 innings. Ben Revere collected three hits, including a game-tying blast in the ninth - his second career homer, to take over the National League lead with a .314 batting average.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH A.J. Burnett (7-15, 4.40 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (12-9, 2.91)

Burnett was terrific against Washington on Aug. 25 but followed up that performance by yielding five runs in six innings of a 6-5 loss to the New York Mets. That outing marked the sixth time in seven starts Burnett has surrendered at least four runs. On the bright side, he has walked only one hitter in each of his last two outings after issuing multiple free passes in each of his previous six starts.

Roark has never been much of a strikeout pitcher, although he has gone four straight starts without fanning more than four hitters in a game. He only struck out two over six innings in the Aug. 25 matchup and is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA against Philadelphia this season. Cody Asche is 3-for-8 with two home runs versus Roark, while Ryan Howard hit a three-run homer off him back on May 3.

WALK-OFFS

1. Burnett is one loss away from setting a new career high - he also lost 15 for the 2010 New York Yankees - and from tying Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Kevin Correia for the major-league lead.

2. Howard has struck out exactly two times in five consecutive games.

3. Revere has five straight multi-hit performances, although he is only hitting .241 against Washington this season.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Phillies 2