--RF Ken Griffey Jr. is three total bases shy of 5,000 and 42 games shy of 2,500.

--RHP Johnny Cueto (6-8, 4.68) makes his 18th career appearance Thursday when he faces the Nationals for the first time. He'll be looking for his 10th quality start.

--OF Norris Hopper has one hit in his last 20 ABs and is 4-for-25 (.160) since he came off the DL (elbow) on June 17.

--RHP Josh Fogg (lower back spasms) threw eight shutout innings on rehab for Class AAA Louisville against Indianapolis and has pitched 8 1/3 innings, a complete game and eight innings in his last three assignments, throwing more than 100 pitches in all three. He says he is ready to pitch but is awaiting word on what the team wants him to do next.

--CF Jay Bruce led off the first inning with a home run and then hit a three-run home run in the second, the first multi-homer game of the 22-year-old rookie's career and the second home run to lead off the first inning of his career.

BY THE NUMBERS
.244 -- Team batting average at the season's halfway point, next to last in the National League.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're pretty low in every hitting category and we just have to start hitting. We strike out too much, way too much (527 the first half)." -- Manager Dusty Baker, noting that no Reds player is on pace for 100 RBIs this season but six are on pace to strike out more than 100 times.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.