Crunch time has come for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Washington Nationals this week. After losing the first game of a four game set on Monday against the Nats, the Phils look to rebound for the final three games of the series. Here are the pitching matchups for the remainder of the Nationals series.Wednesday, August 17-Jon Lieber vs. Esteban LoizaThursday, August 18 1st Game-Vicente Padilla vs. Tony ArmasThursday, August 18 2nd Game-Cory Lidle vs. Ryan DreseWith the Houston Astros losing 3 of thier last 4 and the Braves losing 3 of thier last 5, the door is wide open for the Phillies to gain ground on both of these teams. The final three games are a must win for the Phils in my opinion as whoever wins this series may have the momentum to catch the Astros in the wild card hunt. Quality pitching, and the Phils ability to put together offensive outbursts lately are the key. The Pittsburgh Pirates stroll into Citizens Bank Park to round out the week for a 3 game set this weekend. We'll have a full recap of the Nationals series this Friday on Philies Weekly.Other stories we are working on:Is Jimmy Rollins the answer to the Phils leadoff spot?We'll continue to look into rumours that have Ed Wade in the GM spot untill 2007 Phillies, Nationals, Oakland A's and Yankees. What do these teams have in common and how does it translate into a playoff berth.All this and much more this Friday on the Phillies Weekly podcast. Email: [email protected]: www.philliesweekly.blogspot.com

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