Game 90 lineups: Nats at Reds

CINCINNATI - For a pitcher prone to the home run ball - and Nationals ace Max Scherzer certainly qualifies - pitching in a bandbox like Great American Ball Park can be a challenge.

Though he's turned in one sterling start after another this season, the right-hander has still yielded 13 homers through 128 1/3 innings. That's an improvement over the pace that saw him serve up 31 gopher balls in 228 1/3 frames last year during his Cy Young season, but more than Scherzer would like. At least he's minimized the damage.

Scherzer, who starts tonight for the Nats in the second of four games against the Reds, is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three career starts against Cincinnati. He's never pitched at Great American Ball Park, but is no doubt wary of the hitter-friendly dimensions and the propensity for the stadium to be a launching pad, especially when it's warm and humid out.

Current Reds have amassed only 24 at-bats against Sherzer, so there's very little track record to go on. Joey Votto is 4-for-8 with a homer and three RBIs. Tucker Barnhart and Billy Hamilton are each 1-for-2. Eugenio Suárez is 0-for-5.

The Reds are sending rookie right-hander Luis Castillo to the hill, and he's hoping to build on a strong outing in his last start before the All-Star break a week ago. He checked the Diamondbacks on three hits over 6 2/3 shutout innings, walking one and fanning eight. In four starts this season, Castillo is 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA. But he's allowed 10 walks and five homers in 23 innings. This will be his first career outing against the Nationals.

Right fielder Bryce Harper is on a nine-game hitting streak, during which he's 15-for-34 (.441) with four homers and 10 RBIs. Harper has also reached base in 17 straight games, tied for the fifth-longest on-base streak of his career.

Third baseman Anthony Rendon has hits in eight straight games, going 12-for-28 (.428). Shortstop Wilmer Difo has a seven-game hitting streak, during which he's 10-for-21 (.476). Second baseman Daniel Murphy returns to the lineup with a five-game hitting streak; he's 10-for-22 (.454) with nine RBIs in that span.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CINCINNATI REDS

Where: Great American Ball Park
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, XM Internet 869, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 82 degrees, wind 7 mph toward left-center field

NATIONALS (53-36)

CF Brian Goodwin
SS Stephen Drew
RF Bryce Harper
1B Ryan Zimmerman
2B Daniel Murphy
3B Anthony Rendon
C Matt Wieters
LF Ryan Raburn

RHP Max Scherzer

REDS (39-50)

CF Billy Hamilton
SS Zack Cozart
1B Joey Votto
LF Adam Duvall
2B Scooter Gennett
3B Eugenio Suárez
RF Scott Schebler
C Tucker Barnhart

RHP Luis Castillo