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Nationals go for sweep of Reds

Aug 2, 2007 - 2:49 PM Cincinnati (45-63) at Washington (47-60) 7:05 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds are two of the worst teams in the National League. The Nationals will try to prove they are just a little bit better when they go for a sweep of the three-game series with the Reds on Thursday.

Washington is in last place in the NL East, but their play has actually been better than expected. The team was above .500 in July (13-12) and has won five of its last seven games.

The Nationals have held the Reds' powerful lineup to five runs total in the first two games of the series and Mike Bacsik (4-6, 4.22 ERA) will look to continue that trend on Thursday.

The 29-year-old lefthander has won his past two starts, allowing two runs in 13 2/3 combined innings against the Colorado Rockies and at the New York Mets.

Cincinnati, on the other hand, is scrambling to find pitching after trading righthanded starter Kyle Lohse to the Philadelphia Phillies at Tuesday's trading deadline.

Righthander Elizardo Ramirez (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start of the season in what would have been Lohse's spot in the rotation. Ramirez pitched in 21 games - 19 starts - for the Reds last season, going 4-9 with a 5.37 ERA.

The 24-year-old was 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA in nine starts for Class AAA Louisville this season.