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(Sports Network) - The phrase 'strike while the iron is hot' suits the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim perfectly right now. The Angels are coming off an impressive sweep in Philadelphia and will try to do the same to Washington tonight in the first of three straight games at Nationals Park.

The American League West-leading Angels easily handled the Phillies over the weekend and completed the three-game sweep with Sunday's 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park. Casey Kotchman set the tone early with a two-run homer and Gary Matthews Jr. drove in a run for the Angels, winners in four of their last five games overall. Anaheim is 4 1/2 games ahead of Oakland in the AL West.

Anaheim starter Jered Weaver held Philadelphia to one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings of work to earn the win. He also struck out six batters and walked three, as the Angels improved to 3-0 on a nine-game road trip and boosted their MLB-best road record to 24-12. Francisco Rodriguez avoided trouble in the ninth inning to notch his major league-best 30th save.

John Lackey will try to keep his unbeaten streak intact when he toes the rubber for the Angels on Monday. Lackey has won three straight trips to the mound and is unbeaten over his previous four starts.

Lackey topped the New York Mets his previous time out on June 17 at Angel Stadium, hurling 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball. He also scattered six hits, struck out seven for the second straight game and issued one walk.

The right-hander did not factor in the outcome of an 8-7 loss at Montreal on June 5, 2003, when he gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings of work. It was Lackey's first and only appearance against the Expos/Nationals.

Washington will continue a nine-game homestand on Monday and is 15-23 in the nation's capital this season. After opening the homestand with a 4-3 win in 14 innings over the Texas Rangers, the Nationals lost the next two tests of the series, including Sunday's 5-3 setback in the series finale.

Ronnie Belliard hit a two-run homer and Willie Harris added a solo shot for Washington, which has now dropped five of six overall. John Lannan pitched the first six innings and yielded a pair of runs and four hits in the no-decision. Luis Ayala was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs in the seventh.

Taking the mound for the Nats on Monday will be Jason Bergmann, who has dropped four straight starts and is winless in his last six outings. Bergmann last took the hill on June 18 at Minnesota, when he allowed three runs -- one earned -- and five hits in six innings of an 11-2 loss.

The right-handed Rutgers product, who is 1-5 with a 5.03 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) this season, is 0-2 in five appearances at brand-new Nationals Park. Bergmann has never faced the Angels in his career.

Washington won two of three games at Anaheim the last time these two ballclubs met from June 13-15 of the 2005 season. The Angels are 7-5 against the National League this season, while the Nats are 5-7 in interleague action.