(Brian Garfinkel - GETTY IMAGES) The process of putting Henry Rodriguez back together again began Wednesday night in Philadelphia, and it was a slow start.

Manager Davey Johnson promised a “less-demanding role” for Rodriguez after moving him out of the closer role after Monday night’s final-straw implosion. Rodriguez’s first chance came last night with the Nationals trailing, 3-0, in the bottom of the eighth.

He walked the first batter he faced, Hunter Pence, on five pitches, all fastballs, one of them deflecting off Jesus Flores’s mitt and scooting all the way to backstop. Two batters later, after Pence was thrown out stealing, Shane Victorino launched a 3-2 fastball over the right field fence. Rodriguez then got out of the inning.

In his second year with the Nationals, Corey Brown has become the player they hoped they had traded for. Brown arrived with the Nationals in December 2010, in the trade that sent Josh Willingham to the Oakland A’s and also brought Henry Rodriguez. His first season was a string of disappointments, injuries mixed with ineffective play. “Last year was a tough year for him,” Nationals Director of Player Development Doug Harris said. “And it snowballed.”

This year has been different. Brown has been dominant at Class AAA Syracuse in the season’s first 46 games. He has hit .286 with a .394 on-base percentage and a .531 slugging percentage, with 10 home runs in 175 at-bats – he leads all players in the Nationals organization in homers.

The Nationals and Phillies have given one another plenty to think about between now and July 31, the next time they face each other. They won’t play again for more than two months, and then 12 of the Nationals’ final 61 games will come against Philadelphia, including the final three.

So far, the Nationals have the upper hand, four wins to two, but they have outscored the Phillies only 22-20. The Nationals have not seen Chase Utley, Ryan Howard or Cliff Lee, and for the past three games the Phillies did not have Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies haven’t had to face Michael Morse or Drew Storen, while in the first series Ryan Zimmerman was on the DL and in this series they missed Jayson Werth.

The Nationals have won every game Cole Hamels did not pitch. In the two games he did start, Hamels and the Phillies dominated. Gio Gonzalez has been just as dominant against the Phillies, winning twice, while Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg started the other two wins.

(Jonathan Newton - The Washington Post) You can add Davey Johnson to the Nationals’ injury list. He has a sore, infected toe that he will see a doctor about Thursday. “Whatever’s going around this ball club, I guess I caught it,” Johnson said. He will not miss any games, but he will not be with the Nationals as they travel to Atlanta. “I’m missing my day off and hustling some of the guys on this ball club,” he said. “That’s tearing me up inside. I don’t like to spend my off days in the doctor’s office.”

First, he’ll watch the Nationals go for the sweep against Cole Hamels behind Edwin Jackson. Talk about the game right here.

Live box score of tonight’s matchup.

(Jonathan Daniel - GETTY IMAGES) Brad Lidge could return to a Nationals’ bullpen in need of reinforcements sooner than expected. This afternoon, Lidge threw his first bullpen session since undergoing sports hernia surgery May 1. He will report to Viera, Fla., tomorrow to continue his rehab, and his schedule could put him on pace to return to the majors by June 12.

Today, Lidge threw about 20 pitches, all fastballs, off the mound. Lidge also visited the doctor who performed his surgery while in Philadelphia, and he told Lidge he could push the affected area unless he feels something. So far, he hasn’t.