Nationalsclub.com | Washington Nationals News, nationals Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Concerns about Chase Utley's health dogged the All-Star second baseman during his recent homerless streak even though Utley insisted he felt fine. In his last two games, he's let his bat do the talking, and it's been pretty convincing.</div>After homering for the second consecutive game to lead his club back into first place, Utley looks to continue his hot hitting as the Phillies try to complete a three-game road sweep of the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.Utley, a .299 career hitter, was 14-for-56 (.250) with 11 strikeouts during his 14-game home run drought. It matched his longest homerless streak since he went 20 games without a homer from July 31-Aug. 20, 2006.The cold streak prompted questions about the health of the two-time All-Star, who has missed only two games this season. Utley proclaimed himself healthy after hitting a two-run homer in a 2-1 win over the Nationals on Tuesday night, and emphasized the point with another two-run shot as Philadelphia (58-49) beat Washington 8-5 on Wednesday night.Utley, who's five homers shy of his career high of 32, is 12-for-30 (.400) with three homers, seven RBIs and seven runs scored in eight games against Washington.The Phillies have won four in a row and Wednesday's win put them back in first place in the NL East, a half-game ahead of the New York Mets and 1 1/2 ahead of Florida."We're hanging on," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told the team's official Web site. "We got to claim it and keep it. We got to run off a string, but we have to win tomorrow first."Meanwhile, the Nationals (38-69), who are one loss shy of matching a season-high nine-game skid, continue to own the worst record in baseball.The Phillies will try to protect their hold on the top spot with Kyle Kendrick (8-5, 4.70 ERA) taking the mound Thursday. The right-hander is looking for his first win in five starts since he beat Atlanta 8-3 on July 1.He's 0-2 with a 5.16 ERA in four outings since then, including an 8-2 loss to Atlanta on Friday night. Kendrick held the Braves to one run in six innings of that game, but he didn't get any run support and Phillies relievers surrendered seven runs in the ninth inning."There's nothing you can do about it," Kendrick said.That has been a familiar phrase for Nationals starter John Lannan (6-10, 3.33), who has gotten two runs of support or fewer in 15 of his 20 starts. The left-hander held the Los Angeles Dodgers to three runs in seven innings for his fourth straight quality start on Friday night, but still suffered the 3-2 defeat."You really can't let that affect you," said Lannan, who's 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA in July. "You just have to keep on going out there and throwing up zeros."In his only previous start against Philadelphia, Lannan gave up five runs in 4 1-3 innings of Washington's 7-6 win last July 26.Kendrick, meanwhile, is 0-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals.

Concerns about Chase Utley's health dogged the All-Star second baseman during his recent homerless streak even though Utley insisted he felt fine. In his last two games, he's let his bat do the talking, and it's been pretty convincing.

After homering for the second consecutive game to lead his club back into first place, Utley looks to continue his hot hitting as the Phillies try to complete a three-game road sweep of the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.

Utley, a .299 career hitter, was 14-for-56 (.250) with 11 strikeouts during his 14-game home run drought. It matched his longest homerless streak since he went 20 games without a homer from July 31-Aug. 20, 2006.

The cold streak prompted questions about the health of the two-time All-Star, who has missed only two games this season. Utley proclaimed himself healthy after hitting a two-run homer in a 2-1 win over the Nationals on Tuesday night, and emphasized the point with another two-run shot as Philadelphia (58-49) beat Washington 8-5 on Wednesday night.

Utley, who's five homers shy of his career high of 32, is 12-for-30 (.400) with three homers, seven RBIs and seven runs scored in eight games against Washington.

The Phillies have won four in a row and Wednesday's win put them back in first place in the NL East, a half-game ahead of the New York Mets and 1 1/2 ahead of Florida.

"We're hanging on," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told the team's official Web site. "We got to claim it and keep it. We got to run off a string, but we have to win tomorrow first."

Meanwhile, the Nationals (38-69), who are one loss shy of matching a season-high nine-game skid, continue to own the worst record in baseball.

The Phillies will try to protect their hold on the top spot with Kyle Kendrick (8-5, 4.70 ERA) taking the mound Thursday. The right-hander is looking for his first win in five starts since he beat Atlanta 8-3 on July 1.

He's 0-2 with a 5.16 ERA in four outings since then, including an 8-2 loss to Atlanta on Friday night. Kendrick held the Braves to one run in six innings of that game, but he didn't get any run support and Phillies relievers surrendered seven runs in the ninth inning.

"There's nothing you can do about it," Kendrick said.

That has been a familiar phrase for Nationals starter John Lannan (6-10, 3.33), who has gotten two runs of support or fewer in 15 of his 20 starts. The left-hander held the Los Angeles Dodgers to three runs in seven innings for his fourth straight quality start on Friday night, but still suffered the 3-2 defeat.

"You really can't let that affect you," said Lannan, who's 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA in July. "You just have to keep on going out there and throwing up zeros."

In his only previous start against Philadelphia, Lannan gave up five runs in 4 1-3 innings of Washington's 7-6 win last July 26.

Kendrick, meanwhile, is 0-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals.