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Cubs-Reds Preview

May 7, 2010 - 4:01 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Chicago (13-15) at Cincinnati (14-14), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Any momentum Chicago gained while winning three straight games last weekend was quickly lost as the Cubs dropped the first three games of their road trip.

Carlos Silva also hopes he hasn't lost his swagger.

Silva will look to bounce back from his worst start of 2010 as the reeling Cubs visit Cincinnati for the second time this year, opening a three-game set against the Reds on Friday night.

Chicago (13-16) scored 28 runs while winning the final three games of its series with Arizona last weekend, but was held to five total runs while getting swept by Pittsburgh this week.

An 11-1 defeat Thursday was especially disheartening for the Cubs, who have lost four of their five road series.

"It's hard to win when you don't score many runs," manager Lou Piniella told the Cubs' official website. Piniella said he wouldn't talk to his players until Friday.

"What am I going to say?" Piniella added. "You should be able to look in the mirror pretty easy after something like this."

Aramis Ramirez went 1 for 11 in the series, watching his average slip to .148, while Derrek Lee wasn't much better, going 2 for 11. Lee is batting .217.

"Guys are going to get going and we'll be fine," infielder Ryan Theriot said. "You just have to stay positive and focus on the good things, and hopefully it'll get going."

Silva has been one of the good things for the Cubs after going 5-18 with a 6.81 ERA over the last two years for Seattle. Chicago acquired the right-hander from the Mariners for embattled outfielder Milton Bradley in the offseason.

Silva (2-0, 2.90 ERA) had a 1.73 ERA through four outings - all quality starts - before giving up five runs and eight hits, including three home runs, in five innings against Arizona on Saturday. The Cubs came back to win 7-5.

"When it's my day to pitch, I want to do well, of course," Silva said, "but the most important thing is to get the 'W' for my team."

The Cubs had originally pushed Silva's start to Saturday as he deals with a sore right wrist, but he will pitch in his normal spot in the rotation.

Cincinnati will counter with Homer Bailey, who is coming off his first quality start of 2010. Bailey (0-1, 6.04) held St. Louis to three runs - two earned - in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-3 loss on Saturday.

Silva and Bailey squared off April 9 in Cincinnati. Making his Cubs debut, Silva held the Reds to one run and three hits in six innings, but Cincinnati won 5-4 after Chicago reliever Esmailin Caridad gave up four runs in the eighth inning.

Bailey yielded three runs in five innings.

The Reds (14-14) took two of three in that series and earned the same result against the visiting New York Mets this week.

Cincinnati won Monday's series opener 3-2 on an 11th-inning walk-off home run by Laynce Nix, and Wednesday's finale 5-4 on a 10th-inning, game-ending shot by Orlando Cabrera to give the Reds seven victories in their last 10 games overall.

"This was some series," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "We're not doing it easy, but the main thing is we're doing it."