WASHINGTON – A Cincinnati Reds team that looked like a playoff contender in New York pitched like a team making October vacation plans by the time they got done losing 10-8 to the not-good Nationals in Washington in the opener of a three-game series Monday.

The Cincinnati Reds will play the Atlanta Braves in the Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 2. On Monday morning, the Reds posted a photo on social media with the new uniforms they will be wearing for that game.

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso avoided ending his streak of consecutive games played on Sunday. Alonso entered the team's clash with the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh inning after he was initially out of the starting lineup with a hand injury (h/t Will Sammon of The Athletic).

This was not a playoff team in October. Or a contender in September. This was the bad-bullpen, meh-lineup Nationals playing for nothing in July.

In the ninth inning with two runners on base, Juan Soto hit a would be game-tying home run, but the ball hooked just foul and Reds closer Emilio Pagan lived to fight another day. He got Soto to strike out swinging later in the at-bat.

Opening Day starter Hunter Greene has been sidelined by a groin injury for all but three starts (14 innings) since May 7.

Major League Baseball is showing off the new, racetrack-themed jerseys the Cincinnati Reds will wear for the first-of-its-kind baseball game planned for Bristol Motor Speedway on August 2.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Noelvi Marte was taking reps in the outfield ahead of Saturday's game against the New York Mets. Since coming back from the injured list, Marte has been hitting the ball well,

The Cincinnati Reds lost in the finale but became just the fourth team to beat the New York Mets in a series at Citi Field this year.