(Sports Network) - Lefty Odalis Perez looks to stay perfect against Milwaukee for his career when the Washington Nationals take on the Brewers tonight in the first game of a four-game series at Nationals Park.

Perez, who'll turn 31 next month, is 3-0 with a 3.05 earned run average in nine career starts against the Brewers.

In 38 1/3 innings of work against them, he's allowed 36 hits and 13 runs, while striking out 24 and walking eight.

He was winless in eight starts this season before scattering 11 hits and allowing four runs in 6 1/3 innings of Washington's 10-4 victory over the New York Mets on May 12.

He followed it up with a 6-5 interleague loss at Baltimore on May 17, in which he gave up 11 hits and six runs in five innings.

For Milwaukee, veteran right-hander Jeff Suppan has lost three of four decisions.

The 33-year-old Oklahoma City native began the season by going unbeaten in five straight starts, before dropping a 19-5 verdict to the Chicago Cubs on April 30.

In that game, he gave up 11 hits and eight earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

He dropped a 5-3 interleague verdict at Boston in his last start on May 17, allowing nine hits and four runs in six innings.

Suppan is 3-3 in nine career starts against the Nationals with a 3.49 ERA in 56 2/3 innings.

On Thursday in Pittsburgh, Nate McLouth went 4-for-4 and scored three runs as the Pirates avoided a sweep with an 8-4 win over the Brewers in the finale of a three-game set at PNC Park.

Corey Hart homered for the Brewers, who lost for the sixth time in eight games, while Bill Hall went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored for Milwaukee.

Dave Bush (1-5) was touched for six runs on nine hits in five innings and took the loss.

On Wednesday in Washington, Jamie Moyer crafted six scoreless innings and Ryan Howard erupted for two homers and a double while driving in four runs to lead an awakened Phillies offense to a season-best output, as Philadelphia thrashed the Nationals, 12-2, to capture the rubber match of the three-game set.

Felipe Lopez recorded a pair of doubles and scored once for Washington, and Ryan Zimmerman and Dmitri Young each had an RBI. Jesus Flores went 3-for-5 with a double.

Matt Chico (0-6), returning to the Nationals' rotation to allow Shawn Hill to rest a sore elbow, was touched up for four runs on seven hits over five innings.

Chico had been demoted to the bullpen following five consecutive losses with a no-decision, compiling a 6.87 earned run average in his first stint as a starter this season. The young lefty dropped to 1-1 in four career starts against the Phils.

Milwaukee won four of its six matchups with the Nationals last season.