(Photo credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images)

The Cincinnati Reds lost ground in the National League playoff chase while suffering an untimely three-game weekend sweep from the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

The Reds (74-75) will try to regain traction Monday night when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals (73-77) in the opener of a three-game series.

Cincinnati is 2 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the race for the final NL wild-card spot. The Cardinals remained four games back of the Mets, who defeated the Texas Rangers 5-2 on Sunday.

The Reds will open the series with pitcher Zack Littell (9-8, 3.78 ERA), who is coming off a strong performance Tuesday at San Diego. The right-hander held the Padres to two runs on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts in six innings of a 4-2 victory,

Littell retired 11 consecutive batters during one stretch while displaying his formula for success.

'I thought he worked with his fastball, and then off of that comes the split,' Reds manager Terry Francona said. 'And then the cutter-ish, slider, whatever you want to call it. But I thought he just pitched.'

The Reds are just 3-4 in games Littell started since arriving from the Tampa Bay Rays in a late-season trade, but three of those losses came in extra innings.

One of those defeats came on Aug. 29 at home against the Cardinals. Littell worked seven innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits.

He struck out four batters in that game and walked none. Pedro Pages hit a two-run homer against him and Ivan Herrera hit a solo shot.

Littell is 0-2 with a 6.04 ERA in 22 1/3 innings against the Cardinals in 10 career appearances, including two starts.

The Cardinals (73-77) snapped a five-game losing streak by edging the Brewers 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.

They will open this series with left-hander Matthew Liberatore (7-12, 4.35), who will try to rebound from one of his toughest outings of the season.

He allowed five runs on six hits, including two homers, in four innings during a 5-3 loss at Seattle on Tuesday.

'Three walks and two mistake pitches,' Liberatore said. 'That's really what it boils down to.'

Liberatore is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in two starts against the Reds this season. He allowed five runs on 10 hits, including three homers, and three walks in eight innings.

But he is 1-1 with a 3.45 ERA in 15 2/3 innings over nine career appearances against the Reds, including seven in relief.

The Cardinals regained second baseman Brendan Donovan (groin strain) from the injured list during the series in Milwaukee, but they lost shortstop Masyn Winn to a season-ending torn meniscus in his right knee.

'I was hoping after having three days off it would feel a lot better,' Winn told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 'It was really tough to swing, really tough to take ground balls. The training staff noticed it. I was trying to hide it a little bit.'

Donovan and first baseman Willson Contreras should return to the lineup Monday after taking off Sunday. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was Contreras 'was pretty beat up' after getting hit twice by pitches Saturday.

St. Louis expects to get third baseman Nolan Arenado back from the injured list for this series. He has been on a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield after recovering from shoulder soreness.

--Field Level Media