Perhaps the day off would give the Dodgers a chance to regroup, but manager Grady Little says he wants his players back at it.

"Right now, we are looking forward to getting back on the field," Little said. "It's the only way to do it."

After some rest Thursday, the Dodgers, who have lost eight straight, come back to finish the homestand with a three-game series against the Nationals beginning on Friday.

Los Angeles will try to salvage some wins on the homestand against Washington, which sits in last place in the National League East. The Nationals are 12 games under .500 and 15 1/2 games back of the first-place Mets. It seems that the Dodgers and Nats may have a lot in common, but Washington entered Wednesday night on a four-game win streak.

The Nationals send Tony Armas Jr. to the mound on Friday. Armas pitched seven strong innings in his last start, giving up one run on three hits in only 98 pitches. The right-hander had five 1-2-3 innings, notching his first win since June 4. Before this latest victory, Armas had allowed 15 runs in 11 2/3 innings.

Chad Billingsley makes his ninth start for the Dodgers. The club remains confident that Billingsley belongs in Los Angeles. The Dodgers hope his experiences this year pay off next year. Billingsley's last experience was one to learn from -- the rookie gave up six runs (five earned) on six hits.

He also walked five in the loss, bringing his season total to 33. Billingsley averages about four walks per outing. Prior to his last loss, Billingsley had two straight quality starts, and he goes up against a squad on Friday whose team batting average ranks 23rd in the Majors.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are doing everything they can to stay positive. If there is anyone to jumpstart their offense against, it could be Armas. Armas has posted a 15.43 ERA with runners in scoring position. Opponents have batted .316 against him in those situations.

The Dodgers went 1-2 in Washington, D.C., in May. The Nationals outscored them by a total of 21-11.

Pitching matchup
LAD: RHP Chad Billingsley (1-3, 4.26 ERA)
The rookie hasn't fared too well at home. He is 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three games at Dodger Stadium.

WAS: RHP Tony Armas Jr. (7-5, 4.35 ERA)
Armas has held opponents to a .220 batting average on the road.

Player to watch
Cesar Izturis is 5-for-10 against Armas with three doubles and one home run.

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• FSN PRIME

On radio
• 980 AM KFWB, 1330 AM KWKW (Español)

Up next
• Saturday: Dodgers (RHP Derek Lowe, 7-7, 4.18) vs. Nationals (LHP Michael O'Connor, 3-6, 4.59), 1:10 p.m. PT
• Sunday: Dodgers (LHP Mark Hendrickson, 0-4, 4.97) vs. Nationals (RHP Ramon Ortiz, 7-9, 4.87), 1:10 p.m. PT
• Monday: Off-day