The Cincinnati Reds (6-3) open a four-game series against the Miami Marlins (6-3) on Monday night at loanDepot park. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. ET as Cincinnati arrives in South Florida riding a three-game winning streak after sweeping the Rangers in Texas.

The Pitching Matchup

Brandon Williamson takes the mound for the Reds in his second start of the season. The left-hander will look to build on his early outings and give the team a quality start against a Marlins lineup that has been competitive through the first week-plus.

Miami counters with Janson Junk, who has been solid in his early season work. The right-hander will need to be sharp against a Reds offense that put up nine runs across three games in Texas.

Reds Riding High

The Reds completed a dominant three-game sweep in Arlington, outscoring the Rangers 9-4 behind outstanding pitching. Elly De La Cruz has been the catalyst, delivering the go-ahead single in Sunday's 2-1 series finale. Tyler Stephenson has found his power stroke with a go-ahead homer on Friday. The bullpen has been lights out, with Emilio Pagan locking down three saves and Brock Burke earning his first career save on Sunday.

Marlins Context

Miami got off to a franchise-best 5-1 start before hitting some bumps. The Marlins are dealing with injuries to key players including Kyle Stowers (hamstring), Christopher Morel (oblique), and Esteury Ruiz (oblique), but have remained competitive behind strong pitching led by Sandy Alcantara's historically dominant start to the season.

Keys to the Game

Williamson needs to match the standard set by the Reds' rotation during the Texas series. Getting ahead of Miami's hitters early will be critical. Offensively, the Reds have the depth to attack a Marlins bullpen that has been taxed by the injuries to their position players.