Game 42: Nats at Reds

After a day off, the Nationals are back to work tonight, hoping to beat a Cincinnati club off to a rough start this month

CINCINNATI – It turned into a strange week for the Nationals. They won a series at home for the first time this season. Then they lost a series on the road for only the second time this season.

Now, after a day off, they open a new road series tonight here in Cincinnati, where the Reds are 22-19 but tied for last place in the highly competitive NL Central. Despite that over-.500 record, the Reds own a minus-33 run differential. And they opened the month of May with eight consecutive losses before rebounding over the weekend to beat the Astros twice.

Aside from Chase Burns, who is scheduled to pitch Thursday’s finale, the Cincinnati rotation has struggled. That includes tonight’s starter, Brady Singer, who enters with a 5.63 ERA, 1.643 WHIP and eight homers allowed in only 38 1/3 innings. The Nationals roughed up the right-hander last summer in D.C., scoring seven runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Miles Mikolas is the announced starter for the Nats, who will eschew using an opener for the veteran for the second straight time. Mikolas has been much better of late, with a 3.71 ERA and 0.941 WHIP over his last four appearances. And manager Blake Butera let him reach the sixth inning last time out against the Twins, further evidence of growing faith in the right-hander.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Great American Ball Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Partly cloudy, 74 degrees, wind 9 mph right to left-center

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
3B Brady House
SS CJ Abrams
CF Jacob Young
LF Daylen Lile
2B Nasim Nuñez
DH José Tena
C Keibert Ruiz

RHP Miles Mikolas

REDS
CF TJ Friedl
1B Spencer Steer
SS Elly De La Cruz
DH Sal Stewart
LF JJ Bleday
2B Matt McLain
RF Will Benson
C Tyler Stephenson
3B Ke’Bryan Hayes

RHP Brady Singer