Washington at Cincinnati

Washington is a sizzling 18-10 on the road with an offense ranked #11 in slugging. The Nationals have won four in a row to build a three-game lead atop the NL East. Washington star Bryce Harper is back in the lineup tonight after missing two games with a bruised right knee. The Nationals have a dynamite lefty going in Gio Gonzalez (3.57 ERA), who is 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA on the road. He has also owned Cincinnati, with a 2-1 career record and a 1.83 ERA while limiting the Reds to just a .168 batting average. The Nationals are 39-18 when following an off day and 11-3 against a left-handed starter. They face a bad Reds' squad that had to play yesterday, home from a 10-game trip. Reds southpaw Brandon Finnegan is 0-4 with a 4.96 ERA in his last eight starts after allowing four runs in 6+ innings of a 5-4 setback to Milwaukee on Sunday. A lack of control continues to be an issue for the 23-year-old, who has walked four batters in consecutive outings and 13 in his last four. The Reds are on a 20-49 run, including 18-38 at home. Play Washington.