(SportsNetwork.com) - Should Washington starter Blake Treinen manage to secure his first Major League victory on Thursday afternoon, it would allow the Nationals franchise to do something it has not accomplished in almost 39 years.
The Nationals try to secure a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon.
Washington has caught fire with four straight victories and eight in its last nine games. It has plated at least six runs six times over that nine-game span and has allowed more than two runs only twice.
Both trends came into play on Wednesday as the Nationals notched a 6-2 win over the Giants.
Jayson Werth hit a solo homer and drove in three runs, while Adam LaRoche hit a single that plated two runs during Washington's three-run first inning off San Francisco starter Matt Cain.
"We got some big hits in the first inning there to kind of set the tone for the game," Werth said. "It was a good way to start the game for us and we were able to tack on some runs."
Tanner Roark allowed two runs on seven hits over six-plus innings for the Nationals, who will try to sweep a four-game set in San Francisco for the first time since July 13-15, 1975.
The franchise did record a four-game sweep of the Giants in Montreal in 2003.
Cain surrendered four runs on three hits and five walks over five frames for San Francisco, which has dropped the first three games of this series on the heels of its five-game winning streak.
"We've hit a bump here in the road and you're going to have that," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Bochy's club will try to get over that bump today against Treinen, who made the seventh appearance and third start of his career on Saturday and did not factor into his club's 4-3 loss to San Diego. He allowed two runs on five hits over six innings without a walk, but Washington did not score until he was out of the game.
The 25-year-old is 0-2 with a 1.78 earned run average and will face the Giants for the first time.
After struggling in his first start of June, San Francisco hurler Tim Hudson looks to get on track against a club he has dominated in his career.
In 29 career meetings with the Nationals franchise, the 38-year-old Hudson is 16-5 with a 2.45 ERA.
However, after logging back-to-back scoreless outings Hudson did not factor into a 5-4 win over the New York Mets on Saturday. The righty lasted five innings and was charged with three runs on nine hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
Hudson is 6-2 on the season with a 1.97 ERA.
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