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WASHINGTON — Having already won their first series at Nationals Park since April 2016 Adidas Gabriel Landeskog Jersey , the Philadelphia Phillies will go for the sweep of Washington on Sunday night.

Phillies right-hander Nick Pivetta (4-6, 4.08 ERA) faces Nationals right-hander Jefry Rodriguez (0-0, 4.66).

Pivetta was drafted by the Nationals in 2013 and went to the Phillies in 2015 as part of the Jonathan Papelbon trade.

After struggling for three straight starts — giving up 13 runs in 14 innings — Pivetta allowed two runs and four hits in 7 1/3 innings of a no-decision against the St. Louis Cardinals last time out, striking out a career-high 13 batters.

“That’s some of the best stuff I’ve seen him have all year,” catcher Andrew Knapp told mlb.com. “The curveball was electric.”

Pivetta got 11 swings and misses with the curveball.

“It was nice to have it back,” Pivetta told mlb.com. “It all started with my delivery. I was staying up through it, not trying to rush too much and it worked out.”

It his first start — and second big-league appearance — the 24-year-old Rodriguez picked up a win against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. He allowed five runs, four hits and three walks in five innings.

Rodriguez and Satuday’s losing pitcher, Erick Fedde Adidas Mikko Rantanen Jersey , are filling in for injured starters Stephen Strasburg and Jeremy Hellickson.

The Phillies have outscored the Nationals 17-5 in the fist two games of the series. On Saturday, Maikel Franco had four hits and Carlos Santana homered to back Aaron Nola in a 5-3 victory.

“That was just a tremendous all-around baseball game,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said of Franco. “It’s so interesting how we’ve been looking for him to be not just a hitter but a defender and a baserunner and an all-around athlete.”

Franco drove in a run and scored twice, including the go-ahead run when he scored just ahead of the tag on Jesmuel Valentin’s sacrifice fly.

The Phillies, who have won six of seven, pounded out double-digit hits for the second day in a row in Washington.

“They have a lot of patient hitters,” Fedde said of the Phillies. “I think that’s what makes it tough. Guys aren’t swinging at bunch of junk, so you have to attack them.”

The Phillies have now won four straight series for the first time since May 2016 and are 2-0 in what will be a stretch of 10 games against the Nationals and the New York Yankees.

Anthony Rendon homered and Daniel Murphy had a two-run single for Washington, which has lost three of four while scoring nine runs.

“Look Adidas Seth Jones Jersey , I’ve got all the confidence in the world we’re going to start hitting,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We’ll start scoring some runs. Right now, the bullpen is a little beat up. We’ve got to get them going again.”

Rendon is doing his part. In his las 15 games, he is batting .382 with seven doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs.

Hellickson (right groin strain) will make a rehab start Sunday for Class A Potomac and then is expected to rejoin the Nationals’ rotation.

Hernandez said first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (right oblique strain) is about a week from beginning a rehab assignment.

Cole Hamels and Mike Fiers could soon find themselves in a pennant race. Both veterans can increase their chances of joining a championship contender with solid starts on Saturday afternoon.

The two pitchers will be the mound opponents when the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers play the third game of a four-game series at Detroit’s Comerica Park. They have split the first two games.

Both teams are floundering, but contenders seeking veteran help could turn to Hamels or Fiers.

Hamels, a 34-year-old Texas left-hander, knows about the trade rumors but is more concerned with improving upon his recent outings.

“It’s not a big deal,” he told MLB.com after his last start. “It’s out of my control. I have to go and pitch Adidas Artemi Panarin Jersey , and hopefully that’ll be the last time I have to answer that question.”

Hamels had stellar road outings against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City in mid-June, but he lasted just five innings in each of his last two starts. He gave up a season-high seven runs and nine hits to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Hamels (4-7, 4.05 ERA) is 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA in six career starts against the Tigers.

Fiers has been at the top of his game in his last two starts. He held Oakland to one run and five hits in seven innings, then worked a season-high eight innings on Monday in Toronto. The Blue Jays managed just one run and three hits, but he wound up with no-decision when the bullpen couldn’t hold a one-run lead in the ninth inning.

Fiers (5-5, 3.79) has kept opponents off-balance by mixing well-located fastballs with a healthy dose of curveballs and changeups.

“He was changing speeds, locating the ball,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said afterward. “He paints the strike zone. When the catcher sets up away and in front, he throws away and in front.”

Fiers issued 62 walks in 29 outings last season with Houston and was left off the playoff roster. He has shown much better control this year Adidas Sergei Bobrovsky Jersey , issuing 20 free passes in 16 starts.

“Just throwing a lot of strikes, changing speeds,” Fiers told the Detroit News. “I’m just glad I got the opportunity here.”

Texas has solved Fiers in the past. He’s 1-3 wth an 8.10 ERA in seven career appearances against the Rangers.

Texas didn’t have any luck on Friday night against Detroit pitcher Jordan Zimmermann after Shin-Soo Choo smacked a leadoff homer. Zimmermann struck out a season-high 11 batters in the Tigers’ 3-1 victory.

Zimmermann pitched eight innings, allowing Gardenhire to go straight to fill-in closer Joe Jimenez. Detroit’s regular closer, Shane Greene, is on the disabled list.

“Best thing we’re all seeing is we’re pounding the strike zone right now,” Gardenhire said. “Pitchers are getting deeper into games. That’s really going to help our baseball team.”

Choo’s on-base streak increased to 45 games with the homer, his 17th this season. His bat hasn’t cooled off despite a nagging right quad injury. Choo is batting .291 with a .401 on-base percentage.

The Rangers had scored five or more runs in eight of their previous 12 games.