New on Sports Illustrated: Phillies look to go above .500 against Nationals

The Philadelphia Phillies will be looking for their seventh win in eight games when they host the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

The Phillies stayed hot with an 8-6 victory over the Nationals on Monday to open the four-game series as Rhys Hoskins homered, doubled and knocked in three runs. Hoskins has homered in three straight games and five of his past seven.

"It's go time," Hoskins said. "It's always good to be able to help the club win."

The Phillies will send their ace to the mound on Tuesday, Aaron Nola. This will be the seventh start for the right-hander, who is 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA. In Nola's last start against the Nationals, he threw a season-high 113 pitches and gave up five hits and two runs in seven innings.

In 20 career starts against Washington, Nola is 5-6 with a 4.12 ERA.

"It was kind of a grind for me the whole game, honestly," Nola said after his Aug. 26 outing at Washington in which he struck out eight and walked two. "But I feel like I came back and got some crucial outs."

After skidding to a 9-14 mark, the Phillies have responded to return to .500 at 15-15. They're far from a finished product, but first-year manager Joe Girardi remains very optimistic about where the team is headed.

"I like how our team stacks up," Girardi said. "I think at times, we have played really well. When you're running a good starter out there every day, you have a shot. I like our team."

The Nationals, who will be hoping to avoid a fourth straight loss, continue to receive production from arguably the hottest player in the major leagues, Trea Turner.

Following a series on the road against the Boston Red Sox in which Turner went 11-for-15, he added a four-hit game Monday against the Phillies.

Turner will bring a 16-game hitting streak into play Tuesday.

"He's just going out there, he's being patient but aggressive at the same time, getting balls in the strike zone," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "The thing that stands out to me is he's just using the whole field. He's getting his hits everywhere. And that's good. When he does that, and he stays behind the ball, he's got unbelievable hands, so he's able to hit the ball hard."

Juan Soto added a pair of two-run homers in Washington's Monday loss.

The Nationals will hand the ball to Patrick Corbin for his seventh start of the season on Tuesday. Corbin (2-2, 3.82 ERA) tossed six solid innings in his last start against the Phillies, giving up seven hits and two runs.

In Corbin's career against the Phillies, he is 5-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 10 starts.

"Feel like I'm locating better and just more consistent with all my pitches," Corbin said. "Just have to keep working out, keep doing all my things in-between, throwing bullpens, things like that to finish this season strong."

Corbin said that his familiarity with the Phillies will help with his preparation.

"They've got some veterans over there in their lineup," Corbin said. "They know what I have, and I'd like to try to pitch to some of their weaknesses and things like that, some of my strengths."

--Field Level Media