Per Fay:
Hairston 3b
Dickerson cf
Phillips 2b
Nix lf
Hernandez c
Bruce rf
Gonzalez ss
Rosales 1b
Owings p
(Owings 0-2, 6.75 ERA in career vs. Cubs, in 16 innings)
-Nix batting cleanup (has done so once previously this year)....Bruce batting 6th (3rd time he has hit there this year). Bruce was 1-for-27 on the road trip, and is on 0-for-17 skid. And in his last 13g, is 5-for-47 (.106).
Dusty Baker, pre-game, discussing Bruce hitting 6th: "We're just trying to take a little pressure off him. ... He just needs a little blooper, a little bleeder to come out of it ... rarely do you see a guy come out of it with a home run."
Also: "Nobody's pulling harder for him than any of us are."
-- Baker said he had talked again to Joey Votto, but Baker declined to provide details. We saw Votto in street clothes in the clubhouse, but reporters had already been told by Reds media relations director Rob Butcher that Votto is not yet ready to speak publicly. Votto went on the DL on May 30 because of stress and is eligible to come off the DL June 14. Baker said he does not have a timetable on Votto's return.
--Willy Taveras (hamstring) could be available in an emergency tonight, Baker said. Taveras has missed five of the last six games with a tight right hammy.
Cubs lineup:
Soriano lf
Theriot ss
Fukudome cf
D.Lee 1b
Hoffpauir rf
Fontenot 3b
K.Hill C
A.Blanco 2b
C.Zambrano p
(Zambrano is 14-10 career vs. Reds, 3.06 ERA, in 32 g (28 starts)