Game 45 lineups: Reds at Nats

Right-hander Joe Ross has been one of two pitchers this season for the Nationals. He either gets through five innings or so, giving his team a chance to win, or gets shelled.

It's those rough patches that have inflated Ross' ERA to its current 5.72 entering tonight's game against the Reds. Take away two disastrous outings - when he allowed 10 runs in 4 1/3 innings at home to the Cardinals on April 19 and when he yielded eight runs in four innings to the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on May 15 - and Ross has a 2.03 ERA in six starts.

Obviously, the Nationals need the more aggressive and pitch-efficient version of the right-hander against the Reds. History is on his side: Ross is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three career starts against them. Current Reds have a cumulative .367/.424/.567 slash line in 30 at-bats versus Ross, with most of the damage coming by Tucker Barnhart (4-for-4) and Nick Castellanos (3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs).

Another reason for Ross to pitch well: With righty Erick Fedde working his way back from the COVID-19 injured list, another poor start could jeopardize Ross' rotation spot.

Righty Jeff Hoffman will start for the Reds and he's 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA and a 1.500 WHIP in three career starts against Washington. In 48 career at-bats against him, the Nats have a .292/.306/.438 line. Kyle Schwarber is 1-for-6 with the lone homer off him, but Josh Bell is 4-for-6 with five RBIs and Juan Soto is 2-for-5.

CINCINNATI REDS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees, wind 7 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Kyle Schwarber
3B Starlin Castro
2B Josh Harrison
C Alex Avila
CF Andrew Stevenson
RHP Joe Ross

REDS
3B Eugnio Suárez
LF Jesse Winker
RF Nick Castellanos
CF Tyler Naquin
1B Tyler Stephenson
C Tucker Barnhart
SS Kyle Farmer
2B Jonathan India
RHP Jeff Hoffman