The Nationals are at home for the next six games, hosting the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals (79-46) and the 4th place Cincinnati Reds (57-67) starting tonight and ending Sunday. First up: the Reds, who swept the Nationals earlier this year.

Cincinnati Reds.com preview: When asked he if ever played in the nations capital, the Reds manager replied: "I'm not that old." Tonight's game will be the "first time the club has played in the nation's capital in more than 100 years."

Washington Nationals.com preview: Robinson on the Nationals offense: "No matter where we are, the offense has to pick up, period, in order for us to have any chance [for the playoffs]. It has to pick up more than it did in the first half. In the first half, they really didn't have a real outburst on offense. We were fortunate that we got hits at the right time."

Line-up - game time decision (from an article on Church by Bill Ladson: "Asked if Church would be the leadoff hitter on Tuesday against the Reds, Robinson said that he wasn't going to make a decision until game day.")

OF Tony Blanco #28
Overall: .212 1 HR 7 RBI 1 SB
Last 10 Games (goes back to July 3rd): .000 AVG 8 AB 3 SO (appeared in game in July, no AB)
August: .....................8 AB 3 SO
.....At Home: ............2 AB
vs. Reds: 2 Games ..5 AB 1 H 2 SO .200
vs. St. Louis: not faced

OF Ryan Church #19
Overall: .300 7 HR 36 RBI 3 SB
Last 10 Games: .313 AVG in 16 AB 5 H 3 R 3 RBI 2 BB 2 SO
August: .....................24 AB 6 H 1 2B 3 RBI 1 SB .250 AVG .333 OBP .292 SLG
.....At Home: ............12 AB 2 H 1 BB 5 SO 1 SB .167 AVG .231 OBP .167 SLG
vs. Reds: 2 Games ....5 AB 1 H 1 BB 2 SO .200 AVG .333 OBP .200 SLG
vs. St. Louis: 1 Game 4 AB 3 SO .000

OF Jose Guillen # 6
Overall: .300 21 HR 65 RBI 1 SB
Last 10 Games: .350 AVG in 40 AB 14 H 6 R 1 HR 6 RBI 1 BB 8 SO
August: .....................58 AB 17 H 4 2B 2 HR 7 RBI 1 BB 11 SO .293 AVG .300 OBP .466 SLG
.....At Home: ............ 13 AB 2 H 2 SO .154
vs. Reds: 3 Games ....15 AB 6 H 2 2B 2 HR 2 RBI 4 SO .400 AVG & OBP .933 SLG
vs. St. Louis: 3 Games 12 AB 2 H 2 SO .167

OF Brad Wilkerson # 7
Overall: .246 8 HR 44 RBI 5 SB
Last 10 Games: .146 AVG in 41 AB 6 H 4 R 1 HR 2 RBI 5 BB 12 SO
August:............. 61 AB 10 H 4 2B 1 3B 2 HR 8 RBI 9 BB 17 SO 1 SB .164 AVG .271 OBP .361 SLG
.....At Home: .....20 AB 4 H 1 2B 1 3B 1 HR 6 RBI 4 BB 5 SO 1 SB .200 AVG .333 OBP .500 SLG
vs. Reds: 2 Games 11 AB 2 H 2 2B 3 SO .182 AVG & OBP .364 SLG
vs. St. Louis: 3 Games: 11 AB 5 H 3 R 4 2B 3 RBI 1 BB 2 SO .455 AVG .500 OBP .818 SLB

OF Preston Wilson # 44
Overall: .265 21 HR 67 RBI 4 SB
Last 10 Games: .405 AVG in 37 AB 15 H 8 R 2 HR 9 RBI 1 BB 4 SO
August: .........64 AB 21 H 5 2B 4 HR 14 RBI 5 BB 19 SO 1 SB 4 CS .328 AVG .377 OBP .594 SLB
.....At Home: 17 AB 5 H 2 2B 1 HR 3 RBI 3 BB 8 SO 1 SB 1 CS .294 AVG .400 OBP .588 SLG
vs. Reds: 3 Games: 13 AB 6 H 2 2B 2 HR 4 RBI 1 BB 2 SO .462 AVG .500 OBP 1.077 SLG *
vs. St. Louis: 7 Games: 23 AB 5 H 1 HR 2 RBI 4 BB 8 SO .217 AVG .333 OBP .348 SLG *
* - with Rockies

C Gary Bennett # 29
Overall: .248 1 HR 17 RBI
Last 10 Games: .250 28 AB 7 H 1 R 2 RBI 6 BB 3 SO
August: .....................28 AB 7 H 2 RBI 6 BB 3 SO .250 AVG .382 OBP .250 SLG
.....At Home: ............15 AB 2 H 2 RBI 3 BB 2 SO .133 AVG .278 OBP .133 SLG
vs. Reds: 3 Games: 8 AB 2 SO .000
vs. St. Louis: Has not faced

C Brian Schneider # 23
Overall: .291 9 HR 38 RBI 1 SB
Last 10 Games: .394 AVG in 33 AB 13 H 2 HR 8 RBI 5 BB 2 SO
August: .....................see above, add 4 2B .474 OBP .697 SLG
.....At Home: ............2 AB 2 H 1 BB 1.000
vs. Reds: 2 Games: 8 AB 3 H 2 SO .375
vs. St. Louis: 3 Games: 12 AB 1 H 2 SO .083

1B Nick Johnson # 24
Overall: .300 12 HR 57 RBI 3 SB
Last 10 Games: .225 AVG in 40 AB 9 H 2 HR 10 RBI 3 BB 8 SO
August: ..................... 71 AB 16 H 6 2B 3 HR 12 RBI 11 BB 13 SO .225 AVG .321 OBP .437 SLG
.....At Home: ............ 20 AB 6 H 1 2B 1 HR 1 RBI 5 BB 4 SO .300 AVG .440 OBP .500 SLG
vs. Reds: 3 Games: 12 AB 4 H 1 HR 1 RBI 2 BB 2 SO .333 AVG .429 OBP .583 SLG
vs. St. Louis: 3 Games: 9 AB 2 H 1 2B 3 RBI 2 BB 2 SO 1 CS .222 AVG .364 OBP .333 SLG

2B Jose Vidro # 3
Overall: .276 7 HR 30 RBI
Last 10 Games: .325 AVG in 40 AB 13 H 4 RBI 2 BB 1 SO
August: ..................... 75 AB 23 H 6 2B 1 HR 7 RBI 4 BB 3 SO .307 AVG .338 OBP .427 SLG
.....At Home: ............ 23 AB 6 H 2 2B 1 RBI 1 BB 2 SO .261 AVG .292 OBP .348 SLG
vs. Reds: has not faced
vs. St. Louis: has not faced

SS Cristian Guzman # 15
Overall: .194 3 HR 19 RBI 3 SB
Last 10 Games: .258 AVG in 31 AB 8 H 4 RBI 3 SO
August: ..................... 54 AB 13 H 4 2B 6 RBI 1 BB 10 SO .241 AVG .255 OBP .315 SLG
.....At Home: ............ 19 AB 5 H 1 2B 2 RBI 1 BB 5 SO .263 AVG .300 OBP .316 SLG
vs. Reds: 3 Games: 10 AB 0 H 1 BB 2 SO .000 AVG & SLG .091 OBP
vs. St. Louis: 3 Games: 10 AB 2 H 4 SO .200

3B Vinny Castilla # 9
Overall: .246 9 HR 54 RBI 4 SB
Last 10 Games: .258 AVG in 31 AB 8 H 1 HR 4 RBI 1 BB 5 SO
August: ..................... 61 AB 15 H 5 2B 3 HR 9 RBI 4 BB 12 SO .246 AVG 284 OBP .475 SLG
.....At Home: ............ 17 AB 3 H 1 2B 1 HR 3 RBI 2 BB 4 SO .176 AVG .250 OBP .412 SLG
vs. Reds: 2 Games: 9 AB 2 H 1 2B 1 RBI 2 BB 1 SO .222 AVG .364 OBP .333 SLG
vs. St. Louis: 3 Games: 12 AB 4 H 2 SO .333

Infield Carlos Baerga # 5
Overall: .273 1 HR 17 RBI
Last 10 Games: .250 AVG in 12 AB 3 H 2 RBI 2 BB 2 SO
August: .....................13 AB 3 H 1 2B 2 RBI 2 BB 2 SO .231 AVG .333 OBP .308 SLG
.....At Home: ............ 4 AB 0 H .000
vs. Reds: 2 Games: 2 AB 1 H 1 RBI .500
vs. St. Louis: has not faced

Infield Jamey Carroll # 2
Overall: .241 0 HR 16 RBI 2 SB
Last 10 Games: .278 AVG in 18 AB 5 H 1 RBI 4 BB 5 SO
August: ..................... same as above plus .409 OBP .278 SLG
.....At Home: ............ 4 AB 2 H 2 SO .500
vs. Reds: 3 Games: 13 AB 3 H 1 2B 1 BB 1 SO .231 AVG .286 OBP .308 SLG
vs. St. Louis: 2 Games: 8 AB 1 H 1 RBI 2 SO .125

And don't forget it's 7-6 Armas (4.29 ERA) against 4-6 Luke Hudson (7.35 ERA).

CBS.sportsline.com preview: Armas career against Reds: 18.1 IP 1 Loss 5.40 ERA; last 7 days - best hitter, by AVG: Bennett (.500), worst pitcher, by ERA: Hernandez (36.00); batter vs. pitcher - none of the Nationals have faced Hudson, and here's the batter vs. pitcher for the Reds batters vs. Armas & Cordero page (none have faced them this year; career against Armas: Aurilia: .182 AVG; Casey: .286; Dunn: .000; Griffey: .200; Kearns: .333; LaRue: .400; Lopez: .143; Milton: .000):
Team Comparison:
Batting Average - edge to Reds
Runs: Huge edge to Reds
Hits: edge to Reds
ERA: edge to Nationals
Hits Allowed: edge to Nationals
Opponent batting average: edge to Nationals . . .
Nationals are a better pitching team than the Reds and the Reds are a better hitting team.

2005 series: 1) Milton over Loaiza (box score (5-3)); 2) Keisler over Ayala (box score (4-3): Hernandez started, lasted 7 IP and gave up 3 runs); 3) Belisle over Vargas (box score (12-3); Vargas lasted 1.2 IP and gave up 2 earned runs).

ESPN preview and stat pack.

FOX Sports.com preview and head to head comparison (roughly same comparison, though FOX includes more information, like HR's, walks and stolen bases, strike-outs and SB allowed - Reds better, and HRs Allowed and Errors - Nationals better).

SI.com preview.

Washington Post article about Wilson "Swing Shift" by Les Carpenter.

Washington Times article by Mark Zuckerman: "Down but not out"

WEATHER: Tonight: 68F Mostly Cloudy (day: 84F).