(Sports Network) - Right-hander Todd Wellemeyer goes for a fifth consecutive win tonight when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Washington Nationals in the middle game of a three-game series at Nationals Park.

Wellemeyer, a 29-year-old native of Louisville, was 2-1 through six starts this season before downing the Chicago Cubs, 5-3, on May 4.

Overall, in his last six starts, he's 4-0 with two no-decisions and has allowed 28 hits and nine earned runs in 37 innings, earning recognition as the National League's pitcher of the month for May.

He's making his first career start against Washington after seven straight relief appearances, in which he's 0-1 with a save and a 5.40 earned run average in 10 innings of work.

Washington southpaw John Lannan looks to reverse the result of his initial meeting of the season with the Cardinals on April 6. Lannan took a 3-0 loss in that game, allowing seven hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings of his season debut. He's 4-4 with a pair of no-decisions in 10 starts since.

His last win came May 18 at Baltimore, when he gave up four hits and a run over 7 1/3 innings of the Nationals' 2-1 victory.

On Tuesday, right-hander Kyle Lohse allowed four hits and a run over five innings to lead the Cardinals to a 6-1 win in the series opener.

Lohse struck out two and walked none in improving his 2008 record to 6-2. Yadier Molina hit his third home run of the year and drove in three runs for St. Louis, which also got RBIs from Ryan Ludwick and Lohse.

Odalis Perez took the loss for Washington after allowing five hits and four runs - though just one earned - in three innings. Reliever Jesus Colome was tagged for three hits and two runs in just one inning.

Six players had one hit apiece for the Nationals, who got their lone RBI from Ryan Langerhans.

St. Louis swept a three-game series from the Nats earlier in the season.