Leadoff Change Pays Off Again For Reds Go Up Five Games

On Friday Dusty Baker put Jay Bruce in the leadoff spot and he responded with three home runs.  That power provided the Reds with a 7-1 win.

Things changed on Sunday.  Drew Stubbs was in the leadoff spot against Chicago Cubs starter, Casey Coleman.  Stubbs was the leadoff hitter early in the season but a series of 0-for-5's led the Reds manager to drop him to seventh in the batting order.

"Stubbs gives us the best chance today," Baker said before the game.  "I challenged him to score four runs today."

Stubbs failed.  He scored three.

"I was one base short," Stubbs said.

Bruce and Stubbs both of whom have struggled at the plate for long stretches this season, carried the Reds this series.  The Reds needed them as Baker says often, "big time."

The Reds have a series of nagging injuries to Brandon Phillips, Laynce Nix and Miguel Cairo.  These veterans are healing while the young outfielders, including Chris Heisey pick up the slack.  In Heisey's case he hit sixth in the order, while Bruce was placed in the fifth spot.  Jonny Gomes normally hits there but has been in a slump of his own.

Gomes met with Baker early this morning.

"We needed someone in the fifth spot in the order to protect Joey Votto and Scott Rolen," Baker said.  "Jay is seeing the ball better and Stubbs has been swinging the bat better.

On cue Stubbs had three hits, a double to start the game and two singles.  One hit was a bunt hit that he has been working on.  He stole two bases and scored three runs.  Combined with Bruce's fourth home run of the series the pair made a genius out of Baker.

"I don't know if its coincidence or what," Stubbs said with a smile. "I've been feeling pretty good at the plate. You go through cycles good and bad over the course of the season."

Stubbs has had success against the Cubs in his brief career with a .324 batting average with five home runs and 18 RBI.

"I don't know the reason for that," Stubbs said.

Travis Wood was not as sharp as he normally is but got through five innings with the score tied at 3.  Ramon Hernandez who Baker calls, "Clutch Man Mony" had three singles and a key RBI.  Chris Valaika had a key RBI single.

Heisey broke an 0-for-14 slide with a bloop double and created problems for Cubs rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome by racing to third on a Hernandez single to force a bad throw.

"It's been our mentality from spring training to go first to third.  As an outfielder myself, I know what kind of pressure it puts on you to field the ball, straighten up and make an good throw.  Too many things have to go right.  We've been doing it all year and I can count the times we've been thrown out on one hand.  I watched Scott Rolen do it in the All-Star Game.  I told him how excited it got me.  That's another thing.  You see one guy do it then you think, 'hey I'll try that'."

The St. Louis lost 4-2 to Washington.  The Reds at 75-55 own a five game lead, the largest lead of the season.