(Photo credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)

The Cincinnati Reds continue their six-game road trip when they visit the Washington Nationals for a three-game series beginning Monday night.

The Reds trail the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers by 7 1/2 games in the National League Central Division but are in the thick of the NL wild-card race. They saw their four-game winning streak end Sunday with a 3-2 loss at the New York Mets.

Washington fell behind 5-0 in the first inning Sunday as it dropped the rubber game against the visiting San Diego Padres. The Nationals have lost six of seven.

Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer (7-7, 4.32 ERA) opposes Washington right-hander Jake Irvin (7-5, 4.58) in the opener.

In his last start, Singer allowed three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies on July 12. He tied a season-high with nine strikeouts and walked one in his longest outing since May 27, and the Reds rallied late for a 4-3 win.

'We know where we are and we what we have to do after this break,' Singer said. 'I trust a lot in this team and the fight we're showing. We just showed it right there, so we're gonna fight and claw in the second half.'

Singer allowed two runs in five innings of a no-decision in his only previous start against Washington while with the Kansas City Royals in May 2023.

Irvin allowed three runs (all unearned) in a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 13. He yielded four hits and one walk with five strikeouts in five innings and threw 93 pitches. It was an improvement over his recent efforts.

'Execution was solid,' Irvin said afterward. 'I thought we had a good game plan going into it. I tried to keep guys off-balance all night. I thought we did a good job of that. And I'm looking forward to this time off, but I'm excited to come back hungry and ready to get after it after the break.'

Irvin is 0-1 with a 4.43 ERA in 22 1/3 innings over four career starts against the Reds.

Cincinnati rallied to tie Sunday's game 2-2 in the eighth inning before New York scored the go-ahead run in the bottom half. Still, the Reds became just the fourth team to beat the Mets in a series at Citi Field this year.

Elly De La Cruz hit an RBI single for the Reds, who left eight runners on. TJ Friedl was hit by a pitch on Sunday, making it six in the last five games.

Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte, 23, made his first MLB career start in the outfield. He had one play in right, fielding a single cleanly and throwing home, but not in time to get New York's Tyrone Taylor.

'He came in on the ball and it was (a) very good (throw),' Reds manager Terry Francona said. 'Kept it down, one hop. He's OK. He's going to be fine.'

The Padres got five runs off Nationals All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore in the first inning and cruised to an 8-1 win Sunday.

The Nationals finished with only six hits, including a Riley Adams home run. James Wood's line-drive single to right-center in the bottom of the sixth snapped his career-worst 0-for-20 slump.

'It's just baseball,' the 22-year-old All-Star said of his slump. 'It can't be rainbows and sunshine all the time. It happens. You've just got to work your way out of it.'

--Field Level Media