BOSTON (Interstat) — The Washington Nationals visit the Boston Red Sox on Monday at Fenway Park, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. under cloudy skies and temperatures near 72 degrees. Washington (43-42) enters the game having won two straight, capped by a 6-4 victory Sunday at Baltimore. The Nationals sit at .500 for the first time since early June and are looking to build momentum on the road. Boston (35-46) has won four consecutive games, including a 4-1 decision Saturday against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox remain in last place in the American League East but have shown signs of life after a rough stretch. Players to watch Washington second baseman Luis García Jr. has been on a tear. In his past six games, García is 10-for-18 (.556) with six home runs and nine RBIs. He went 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs in Sunday’s win over the Orioles, and followed a 4-for-5, one-homer performance Saturday. Across his last eight starts, García has hit safely in six games, with multiple hits in four of them. Boston left-hander Jake Bennett takes the mound having pitched well in his past two outings. In his last start Saturday against the Yankees, Bennett threw 6 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out three. In his prior start at Colorado, he went six innings, surrendering no earned runs and striking out nine. Over his past three starts, Bennett has a 1.53 ERA and has held opponents to a .194 batting average. Series context This is the first meeting of the season between the Nationals and Red Sox. The teams will play again Tuesday and Wednesday at Fenway before Washington returns home for a six-game homestand against Pittsburgh and Houston. Boston heads west after the series for three games at the Los Angeles Angels. Washington has relied on its offense recently, scoring at least four runs in six of its past seven games. Boston’s pitching has stabilized behind Bennett and a bullpen that has allowed one earned run over its past 11 innings. A simulation by Interstat projects a 5-3 Boston victory, but García’s hot bat and Washington’s improved lineup could challenge that forecast. The Nationals have won 11 of their past 16 games away from home. Both teams will look to extend their winning streaks as the calendar turns toward July.