=== Nats, Reds begin three-game set ===

(My Sportsbook) - The NL wild card hopeful Washington Nationals will shoot for their second consecutive victory tonight, when they begin a three-game set versus the Cincinnati Reds at RFK Stadium.

Washington dropped two of three to the New York Mets at Shea over the weekend, but it managed to post a 7-4 victory on Sunday. Esteban Loaiza pitched 6 1/3 solid innings and contributed an RBI-single in the win.

Loaiza (8-9), starting on three days' rest, allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He improved to 8-2 in 13 lifetime starts on three days' rest and earned his first-ever win at Shea Stadium.

Ryan Church had two hits during a big first inning and Washington finished the game with 13 on the way to concluding a 13-game road trip with a 7-6 mark. The Nationals reside 1 1/2 games behind front-running Houston in the NL wild card race.

Gary Bennett went 3-for-4, while Preston Wilson, Vinny Castilla and Cristian Guzman posted two hits apiece in the game. Guzman doubled twice and knocked in a pair of runs in the contest, and Wilson extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Washington, which is opening up a six-game homestand this evening, is 34-22 in its friendly confines for the year.

The Nationals will send righthander Tony Armas Jr. to the hill tonight. Armas has been spectacular in August for the Nationals, registering a 2-1 mark with a 1.69 ERA in three starts. At home this season, Armas is 5-0 with a 2.72 ERA in nine outings.

However, Armas suffered a tough luck loss to Philadelphia last Thursday, allowing five hits and two runs over five innings in a 2-1 defeat. The hurler had trouble with his control, walking six in the loss. Armas has not been at his best versus the Reds in his career, going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA.

Cincinnati will send righthander Luke Hudson to the hill tonight. Hudson has improved in the month of August, going 2-1 with a 4.86 ERA in three starts. The 28-year-old had a three-game winning streak stopped last Wednesday, as he was touched for four hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings by San Francisco. Hudson walked and struck out three in the tough luck defeat. This will be Hudson's first-ever start against Washington.

The Reds have won three of their last four games, including a 13-6 thumping of Arizona on Sunday at Great American Ball Park. Wily Mo Pena and Edwin Encarnacion each hit three-run homers to highlight a seven-run fourth inning in the victory.

Pena, who went 2-for-3, set a career high with six runs batted in when he hit his second three-run homer of the contest in the eighth. Pena has 16 home runs on the year. The Reds hit six home runs Sunday and 10 total in the series.

Austin Kearns added a two-run shot, while Felipe Lopez and Sean Casey registered a solo homer apiece. Lopez was deemed NL Player of the Week after hitting .400 (12-for-30) with three home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored.

Ken Griffey Jr. went 2-for-5, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Rich Aurilia also has an eight-contest hit streak after going 2-for-4 in Sunday's contest.

Eric Milton (7-12) pitched six strong innings, allowing only two runs on six hits. It was Milton's third win in his last four starts and only his sixth start of the year without allowing a home run.

The Reds, who are 22-14 since the All-Star break, begin a 13-game road trip tonight. It will be Cincinnati's first game in Washington, D.C. since September 14, 1899. Cincinnati is 21-34 on the road this year.

Cincinnati swept a three-game set between these teams at Great American Ball Park in late May. The Reds are 7-2 against Washington since the start of last season, including a 2-1 road record.