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LHP Chico hoping to help Nationals avoid 10th straight road loss

May 22, 2007 - 1:18 PM Washington (16-29) at Cincinnati (18-27) 7:10 pm EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) - The Washington Nationals will rely on a rookie to help them avoid their longest road losing streak in 30 years.

Matt Chico (3-4, 5.44 ERA) takes the mound in the second game of a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.

Washington, which has the worst record in the major's, had built some positive momentum by going 7-3 on its 10-game homestand. However, a lot was lost when it blew a 6-0 lead in a 8-7 setback in the opener on Monday.

Now, the Nationals will be looking to avoid losing their 10th straight road game for the first time since August 2-27 1976, when the franchise was located in Montreal.

Chico, who has allowed just three runs in his last 17 1/3 innings, will be the man trying to stop that dubious streak. The lefthander allowed three runs and five hits in six innings of a 4-3 win over Atlanta on Thursday. However, Chico is 0-4 with a 6.30 ERA in his last four road starts.

Meanwhile, the Reds, who have lost 14 of their last 19 games, will send Kirk Saarloos (0-3, 5.09 ERA) to the mound in place of the injured Eric Milton. Milton is on the disabled list with a sprained left elbow. Therefore, Saarloos will make his first start of the season after appearing in 20 games out of the bullpen thus far.

Scott Hatteberg went 3-for-4 with four RBI, including a two-run homer and Javier Valentin hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth to cap the Cincinnati comeback.