Philadelphia was just 7-9 in the month of August heading into this series and heading into tonight's game has a team batting average of .253 -- 12th in the National League. However, that is still 10 points better than the Nationals, who are last in the NL in hitting and are ahead of only Oakland (.241) in the majors.

Washington's inability to plate runs resulted in a 4-0 loss last night, marking the 19th time this year the Nationals have been shutout. The Nats' current 12-game slide is the franchise's longest since the Montreal Expos dropped 12 consecutive games in 1976 and is tied with the Royals for the longest skid this season.

The bad news is that four-game series took place from July 7-10.

The Athletics have lost 11 straight series.

Minnesota heads out west tonight to begin a 14-game, 15-day swing with the opener of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Twins have dominated in home play this year. They just wrapped up a nine- game homestand with a 7-2 mark and haven't dropped a series at home since the beginning of June. Overall at home this year, Minnesota is 46-23 compared to a 26-31 record as the visiting club. The Twins get an opportunity to improve on their mark, as they will go through Anaheim, Seattle, Oakland and Toronto in the longest trip since 1969.

Ponson is 4-3 with four complete games and a 3.19 earned run average in eight career starts versus the Blue Jays, a club he has yet to face this year. Though just 7-10 in 19 total games against them -- all but one of those starts -- his six complete games versus Toronto is the most he has thrown against any one team.

The right-hander has lasted at least six innings in each of his last four starts for New York, going 1-1 with a 2.96 ERA. He posted a no-decision on Saturday versus Kansas City, allowing two runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, and is 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine starts with the Yankees.

Lee, who has won his last six decisions to pull within one of his career best of 18, has posted a 2.43 ERA through 170 2/3 innings of work thus far in 2008, continuing a remarkable turnaround after a mediocre 5-8 mark in just 20 outings in 2007.

The southpaw won 18 games in 2005 while posting a 3.79 ERA in 202 innings, then returned to win 14 games in 2006. His 2008 total so far is tops in the AL and is one behind Arizona's Brandon Webb, who leads all of baseball with 18 wins.

The Marlins haven't recorded back-to-back wins since beating the New York Mets on July 30 and the Colorado Rockies the following day. Their last series win occurred earlier this month when the Marlins won two of three games at Philadelphia from August 5-7.

Florida has lost two of three, five of seven and eight of its last 12 games, including Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Giants in the second installment of this series. John Baker tied the game with a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the ninth inning for the Marlins, who got a two-run homer from Jeremy Hermida.

Webb has won five straight starts and is unbeaten over his previous 10 trips to the hill (7-0). He last pitched on August 15 against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park, hurling eight innings of two-run ball in a 12-2 blowout. Webb, who has lasted at least six innings in 11 straight appearances, is 18-4 with a 2.85 earned run average in 26 starts this season.

The right-hander posted a career-high 18 wins a year ago and is 8-1 in 11 home starts this season. Webb will face San Diego for the second time this season after recording a victory on April 27 at Petco Park. He was reached for an unearned run in six frames of a 2-1 triumph, improving to 5-7 in 20 career starts in this series.

The Mets swept the Washington Nationals in three games on the road from August 12-14, and have won the first two encounters with Atlanta. In Wednesday's 6-3 victory over the Braves, starter Mike Pelfrey recorded his first career complete game and allowed three runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts to win for the 10th time in his last 12 decisions. The right-hander also knocked in a run and retired the last 11 batters he faced.

Daniel Murphy drove in two runs and David Wright added a solo shot for the Mets, who have won eight of their last nine games to remain 1 1/2 games ahead of Philadelphia for first place in the NL East. The Phillies blanked the Washington Nationals, 4-0, on Wednesday.

The Dodgers opened the homestand with five straight wins, including a four- game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, but have dropped three of their last four games. In Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies in the second test of this series, Russell Martin and Jeff Kent each had two hits for the Dodgers, who are two games behind Arizona for first place in the NL West. The Diamondbacks posted an 8-6 win over San Diego on Wednesday.

Starter Chad Billingsley got a no-decision after he was tagged for two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks over six frames. Relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton surrendered a run in the ninth to take the loss, as the Dodgers dropped to 38-30 at Chavez Ravine this season.

A 13-time winner in his career against the Reds, Zambrano limited them to a single hit and a single run over eight nearly flawless innings in a 5-1 victory on July 9 at Wrigley.

He walked none and struck out five in that triumph, which raised him to 13-9 with a 3.10 earned run average in 30 appearances -- 26 starts -- against Cincinnati.

He went 3-for-4 in Washington's 4-0 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday.

The move completes a trade that sent Luis Ayala to New York in exchange for a player to be named later -- Hernandez.

Buchholz gave up three hits and five runs while walking three batters in just 2 1/3 innings, prompting the demotion. In addition to Wednesday's setback, Boston is just 3-12 when Buchholz starts and 70-42 when anyone else takes the hill.

The 24-year-old is 2-9 with a 6.75 earned run average in 16 games this season.

Castillo is expected to report to the team Friday after being designated for assignment by San Francisco on August 13. A corresponding move to the 25-man roster will be announced prior to Castillo's reporting.

The 27-year-old hit .244 with six home runs and 35 runs batted in over 112 games for the Giants this season.

Griffey drilled a two-out, two-run homer in the second inning against Seattle's R.A.

Dickey for not only the milestone homer, but his first in a White Sox uniform.

The move is retroactive to August 18.

In 63 games this season, Hairston is hitting .338 with two home runs, 22 RBI and 15 stolen bases.

If anything, I think he has a better shot at an MVP Award than he does a Cy Young. Personally, I don't think he has a shot at either, but if I had to make a case for Sabathia to win one of them, it would be MVP.

However, if voters couldn't find a way to get Pedro Martinez an MVP Award in 1999, I find it hard to believe they would vote for someone who was only in the league for a little more than half a season.

Florida kicked off an important nine-game road trip with Tuesday's 6-0 triumph over the Giants in the first of three straight meetings between these teams. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco went the distance on a brilliant two-hitter and helped his cause at the plate as well, contributing a two-RBI double during a three-run fifth inning.

Nolasco (12-7) struck out 11 Giants and issued just one walk in hurling the first complete game by a Florida pitcher since Anibal Sanchez accomplished the feat against Atlanta on September 16, 2006. The right-hander was in command from the start, throwing 78 of his 110 pitches for strikes.

On a team that contains former All-Star hurlers Brad Penny and Derek Lowe and just recently added future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, Chad Billingsley has been the Dodgers' best and most consistent pitcher this season. The talented 24-year-old leads Los Angeles with 12 victories and a 3.10 earned run average, while his 162 strikeouts trails only San Francisco's Tim Lincecum for tops in the NL.

Billingsley also enters tonight's matchup on a roll. The stocky right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA over his last five starts and allowed just one home run over that strong stretch.

Tampa also broke the brooms out on the AL West-leading Halos from May 9-11.

Last night with Tropical Storm Fay bearing down, Willie Aybar's two-run single in a decisive eighth inning proved to be the difference and James Shields tossed eight effective innings to lead Tampa Bay to a 4-2 win.

New York's fading playoff hopes took another hit in Monday's series opener, when Toronto rallied for a pair of late runs to edge the Bronx Bombers by a 2-1 count. The loss, the Yankees' seventh in their last 10 contests, moved them 6 1/2 games behind the rival Boston Red Sox for the lead in the AL Wild Card standings.

In contrast, the Blue Jays have won three in a row and six of their last seven, and now trail New York by just one game in the battle for third place in the division.

Haren is enjoying his first campaign with Arizona, having pitched to a 13-6 mark with a 2.96 earned run average in 25 starts. Haren has won five of his last six starts and defeated Colorado at Coors Field on Thursday, holding the Rockies to a pair of runs in eight innings of a 6-2 victory.

The right-hander, who is 9-3 with an ERA under three at home in 2008, is 2-1 in three starts versus the Padres this season. In six career games (5 starts) against San Diego, Haren owns a 2-1 mark and a 1.95 earned run average.

Manny Parra will try to begin a streak of his own when he handles pitching duties for the Brewers in tonight's finale of a three-game series versus the Houston Astros at Miller Park.

Parra is winless (0-4) over his last five trips to the hill and has allowed three runs or more in four of those outings. He recently lost at Los Angeles on Friday after allowing four runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work, falling to 9-6 with a 4.12 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) this season.

Boston continued to thrive without Manny Ramirez on Tuesday, as Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer and Daisuke Matsuzaka remained perfect on the road to help the Red Sox to a 7-2 win.

Matsuzaka (15-2) pitched five innings and allowed two runs on six hits to improve his 2008 road record to 7-0 (10 starts). Jason Varitek homered and ended with two RBI for the Red Sox, who have won six of their last eight games overall.

Pelfrey's emergence has coincided with the Mets' ascent to the top of the National League East. The young right-hander was brilliant again on Friday against Pittsburgh, as he gave up seven hits in seven scoreless innings to run his record to 11-8, while lowering his earned run average to 3.91.

He will be facing Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens for the third time this season.

Chicago remained one game ahead of the Minnesota Twins in the division standings following Tuesday's 5-0 victory in the second test of this series. Jim Thome and Nick Swisher homered for the White Sox, who have won seven of their last eight games and improved to 2-0 on a six-game homestand. Carlos Quentin had two hits and an RBI in the victory and is batting .588 (10-for-17) with three homers and seven RBI over the past five games.

Rookie starter Clayton Richard earned his first career victory with six shutout innings, allowing five hits and one walk. Richard's performance on the mound pushed Chicago's home record to 44-19 this season.