(Sports Network) - Former first-round draft pick Joe Saunders makes his fourth appearance in an Arizona uniform tonight when the Diamondbacks head to Washington to begin a three-game weekend series at Nationals Park.
The 12th overall pick of the 2002 draft by the Angels, Saunders reached the majors with the organization in 2005 and rose to standout status by 2008, winning 17 games that season and 16 more in 2009.
He struggled out of the gate this year, however, and was just 6-10 before a trade deadline deal sent him to Arizona.
The southpaw has made three starts for the Diamondbacks since, winning once, losing once and getting a no-decision while combining to allow 22 hits and nine runs in 22 innings with 11 strikeouts.
He faced the Nationals in the second of three starts and earned a win after allowing five hits and a run over the complete nine-inning distance.
For Washington, fellow lefty John Lannan tries for his initial home win of the season in his eighth attempt.
The 25-year-old is 3-3 on the road in nine outings, including a 6-3 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 6.
He got a no-decision in his last home start against Philadelphia on Aug. 1, which was his initial outing after a stint in the minors had kept him inactive since June 20.
Lannan has faced Arizona three times in 86 major-league starts, winning twice while allowing nine hits and just one run in 19 innings.
Oddly, he's walked 11 batters and struck out only three while allowing a .145 opposition batting average.
On Thursday in Milwaukee, Casey McGehee finished 4-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and scored three times as Milwaukee bested Arizona, 8-4, in the finale of a four-game set from Miller Park.
Stephen Drew hit a three-run shot and Rusty Ryal added an RBI single for the D-Backs, who saw their three-game win streak ended.
Rodrigo Lopez (5-11) was torched in defeat for seven hits and seven runs with three walks over five full frames.
In Washington, Ricky Nolasco pitched six-plus shutout innings to win his sixth straight road start, and the Florida Marlins recorded a three-game sweep of the Nationals with a 5-0 rain-soaked victory.
The game took 5 hours, 18 minutes after a 1:57 rain delay.
Roger Bernadina and Ivan Rodriguez each had two hits for the Nats, who have lost five in a row. Livan Hernandez (8-8) allowed three runs, seven hits and four walks in 6 1/3 frames to receive the loss.
These two clubs split a four-game set in Arizona from Aug. 2-5. The Nationals have won seven of the last 10 meetings overall.