(Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals are well aware that the Philadelphia Phillies are in the heat of a pennant race and are not about to roll over for their fellow NL East inhabitants.

Washington will shoot for its eighth straight victory tonight in the second test of a three-game series versus the Phillies, who are two games behind the New York Mets for the top spot in the division.

The Nationals are 7-0 on a nine-game homestand thanks to sweeps of both Los Angeles and Atlanta and Monday's 7-4 victory over the Phillies.

Nats starter Tim Redding had a no-hitter through five innings, but eventually allowed three runs on two hits in 5 2/3 frames for the win. Five Washington relievers then shut the door to extend Washington's season-high winning streak.

Ryan Zimmerman belted a two-run homer, while Willie Harris, Cristian Guzman and Jesus Flores each finished with two hits and an RBI in the win. Lastings Milledge added a two-run single for Washington, which will send John Lannan to the hill on Tuesday.

Lannan, who has won two straight starts after going 0-3 in five previous trips to the mound, last toed the rubber on Thursday versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, hurling six strong innings of two-run ball in an 11-2 win. Lannan is 3-7 at home this season and improved to 8-12 with a 3.92 ERA in 26 overall starts with last week's win.

The southpaw faced the Phillies on July 31 of this season and was saddled with the loss after giving up eight runs -- six earned -- on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. Philadelphia won the game, 8-4.

Lannan is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two career starts against the Phils.

Philadelphia has lost four of six games to fall further back in the NL East standings. In Monday's setback in the series opener, Phils starter Kyle Kendrick was roughed up for six runs and eight hits in four innings of work to absorb the loss. Jimmy Rollins homered and Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Chris Coste each added an RBI in defeat.

The Phillies are 2-3 on a 10-game road trip and 36-34 away from Citizens Bank Park this season. They will visit the Mets at Shea Stadium later this week.

The Phillies were concerned with Cole Hamels not too long ago, but the lefty seems to have found his niche again. Hamels, who is 2-0 in his last four starts, will take the ball for Philly on Tuesday.

Hamels was winless (0-3) through a six-start stretch before his recent unbeaten run, in which the Phillies have gone 2-2. He previously took the hill Thursday against Chicago and did not factor in the 6-4 loss at Wrigley Field, yielding just a run and five hits in seven frames.

The lanky lefty has yet to beat Washington (0-1) in two starts this season, and is 4-3 with a 2.25 earned run average in 11 career starts against the Nationals.

Philadelphia has won eight of the 13 meetings with the Nationals this season, with a 5-2 mark as the visitor.