Cincinnati (67-65) at Los Angeles (69-62)

Just a few days ago, the Cincinnati Reds owned a share of the NL Central lead. Now, they’re just hoping to stay atop the wild card standings.

The Reds look to avoid their fifth straight loss when they continue a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Cincinnati (67-65) opened a 10-game West Coast swing with a 6-3 win over San Francisco that moved it into a virtual tie with St. Louis in the Central. After a 6-5 loss Tuesday to Los Angeles, the Reds fell 3 1/2 games behind the Cardinals.

They also maintained a one half-game lead over the Padres in the wild card after San Diego’s 7-4 loss to Arizona.

“Tonight’s game might help us because we got in their bullpen and scored some runs off them and made them work a little bit,” said Todd Hollandsworth, who drove in three runs for the Reds. “I know they’ve been using a lot of bullets down there—as have we.

“So if we can pull anything out of this game, hopefully that’s what it is, and maybe it’ll benefit us tomorrow.”

Eric Milton (8-7, 5.22 ERA) will look to help the Reds get back on track. He allowed three runs, a season high-tying 10 hits and two homers in Thursday’s win over the Giants, but failed to record a decision for the third straight start. The Reds have won in each of his last four starts.

“The big pickup was the way Milton turned it around and really pitched well after the second,” manager Jerry Narron said. “The first couple of innings, it seemed like he was up with everything. He really settled in, kept the ball down and changed speeds much better.”

Milton is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers. He has lost his last three against them, including a 3-0 loss on Aug. 3 in which he allowed just two runs in seven innings but was outdueled by Greg Maddux.

Russell Martin hit a two-run homer and Jason Repko added two RBIs for Los Angeles (69-62), which has won three in a row after a four-game losing streak.

The Dodgers have a three-game lead over San Diego in the NL West.

Mark Hendrickson (1-6, 4.79) will try to avoid his third loss in as many starts for Los Angeles. On Aug. 16, the left-hander lasted a season-low 2 1-3 innings in the loss Florida. He gave up just a run and five hits over six innings on Aug. 22 of a 1-0 loss to the Padres.

Hendrickson, acquired in a June 27 trade with Tampa Bay, has received an average of just 3.36 runs of support in his 10 starts with the Dodgers.

Hendrickson made his only career start against the Reds on June 7, 2005, allowing six runs in 2 2-3 innings without receiving a decision in Tampa Bay’s 9-7 loss.