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Griffey aims for No. 600 as Reds host Braves

Jun 1, 2008 - 1:12 PM Atlanta (29-27) at Cincinnati (26-29) 1:15 p.m. EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Ken Griffey Jr. looks to join the 600-home run club as the Cincinnati Reds try to complete a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Griffey, 38, hit No. 599 in the first inning of Saturday's contest and needs one more homer to join Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa as the sixth player in baseball history to reach 600 for his career.

While Griffey continues his pursuit toward a milestone, rookie Jay Bruce belted the first home run of his career in thrilling fashion Saturday, hitting a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 10th to lift the Reds to an 8-7 victory.

Cincinnati has won four out of five since Bruce arrived as the highly touted rookie has not disappointed, batting .579 with eight runs scored. The 21-year-old outfielder is 7-for-10 in the two games against Atlanta.

Rookie Johnny Cueto (3-5, 5.40 ERA) hopes to help the Reds complete the sweep when he takes the mound for Cincinnati. The righthander earned the win in his last start, giving up three runs - two earned - in five innings during the Reds' 9-6 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Opposing Cueto will be Tim Hudson (7-3, 2.90), who has gone eight innings in each of his last two starts. Hudson did not factor in the decision in his last outing, giving up two runs and 11 hits as Atlanta lost 3-2, at Milwaukee on Tuesday.

The veteran righthander pitched a complete-game shutout against the Reds earlier this season, allowing just three hits with 10 strikeouts in the Braves' 2-0 victory on May 2.

It will be the final game of a six-game road trip for Atlanta, which has lost four of the first five contests and are tied for the major league-worst record away from home at 7-20.