By: Matt Rappa, managing editor 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Philadelphia Phillies (11-10) and right-hander Aaron Nola will look for their first series sweep of the season Thursday afternoon in the series finale against right-hander Tanner Roark and the division-leading Washington Nationals (14-6) at Nationals Park.
A win would put the Phillies two games over the .500 mark for the first time in 1,305 days when they shut out the Nationals 2-0 at the same venue on Oct. 1, 2012.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (11-10) | Washington Nationals (14-6) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Aaron Nola | RHP | Tanner Roark | ||
| (1-2, 4.50 ERA) | (2-2, 2.63 ERA) | ||||
Aaron Nola — Age: 22;
- Last Start: April 22, 2016, at MIL: W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
- Career vs. WSN: (0-1), 3 GS, 15.0 IP, 22 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 4 BB, 19 SO, 4 HR, 7.80 ERA
In his only career start at Nationals Park on Sept. 26, 2015, Nola threw five shutout innings and allowed just six hits on 67 pitches. He allowed a career-high seven earned runs against the Nationals on April 16 at Citizens Bank Park.
The right-hander is coming off of his first victory of the season on Friday, April 22, against the Milwaukee Brewers, in which he did not surrender an extra-base hit against 27 total faced batters.
Tanner Roark — Age: 29;
- Last Start: April 23, 2016, vs. MIN: W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 15 SO
- Career vs. PHI: (2-5), 7 G, 5 GS, 28.2 IP, 36 H, 22 R, 22 ER, 4 BB, 21 SO, 4 HR, 6.91 ERA
Roark is coming off of an outing which is currently ranked by ESPN as the sixth-best start throughout Major League Baseball. In seven shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins on April 23, the right-hander struck out 15 batters, allowing just two hits and three walks.
The four-year veteran last faced the Phillies on June 28, 2015, in the back-end of a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park. In just three-and-a-third innings, he allowed a career-high eight earned runs on 12 hits and a walk.
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (11-10) | Washington Nationals (14-6) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L | 1 | CF | Matt den Dekker | L |
| 2 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S | 2 | SS | Danny Espinosa | S |
| 3 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R | 3 | RF | Bryce Harper | L |
| 4 | 1B | Ryan Howard | L | 4 | 1B | Ryan Zimmerman | R |
| 5 | C | Cameron Rupp | R | 5 | 2B | Daniel Murphy | L |
| 6 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S | 6 | LF | Jayson Werth | R |
| 7 | LF | David Lough | L | 7 | C | Pedro Severino | R |
| 8 | P | Aaron Nola | R | 8 | 3B | Stephen Drew | L |
| 9 | RF | Peter Bourjos | R | 9 | P | Tanner Roark | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 4:05 p.m.
- TV: CSN
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game Notes:
- The Phillies recorded their fourth shutout of the season in Wednesday evening's 3-0 victory against left-hander Gio Gonzalez, their 21st game overall for the season. Last season, they did not record their fourth shutout until their 99th game, Cole Hamels' no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs on July 25.
- Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper is batting .250/.667/.250 this series with five walks and a strikeout in nine plate appearances.
- Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera has reached base in 18 consecutive games, a career high. He is three walks shy of matching right fielder Bobby Abreu's 10-year-old franchise record for walks in the month of April, 24. Herrera is on pace for 162 walks this season, a feat accomplished by just four players in Major League Baseball history:
- Babe Ruth (170 walks in 1923)
- Ted Williams (162 in 1947 and 1949)
- Mark McGwire (162 in 1998)
- Barry Bonds (177 in 2001, 198 in 2002 and 232 in 2004).
- The last time the Phillies swept the Nationals at Nationals Park was May 15-17, 2009, in a four-game series. Their last road series sweep in the month of April occurred exactly three years ago, April 26-28, 2013, away against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
What's Next:
- Friday, April 29, 2016: vs. Cleveland Indians, 7:05 p.m.
- Citizens Bank Park
- RHP Corey Kluber (1-3, 4.67 ERA) vs. LHP Adam Morgan (Triple-A LHV: 1-1, 3.57 ERA)
- TV: CSN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
