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Hill tries to shut down Reds again

Sep 22, 2006 - 1:20 PM Chicago Cubs (62-91) at Cincinnati (74-78) 7:10 pm EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) - The inability to beat Rich Hill is one of many things to go wrong for the Cincinnati Reds in the last month.

Hill tries to shut down the Reds for the second time in six days as the Chicago Cubs open a four-game series at the Great American Ballpark.

On August 24, the Reds were percentage points behind St. Louis in the National League Central Division and 1 1/2 games ahead of San Diego for the wild card lead. But since the opener of their four-game series in San Francisco, the Reds have dropped 17 of their last 24 contests to fall 5 1/2 games off the pace in the wild card chase.

Hill (6-6, 4.12 ERA) is responsible for one of those defeats. Last Saturday in Chicago, he fired a two-hitter as he struck out 10 in a 4-0 victory.

Hill's performance has been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Cubs. He is 3-0 with an 0.90 ERA this month and the win over the Reds was Chicago's first complete game of the season.

Chicago has won six of 10 but scored just three runs in the final two games at Philadelphia. The Cubs will try to get their offense going against Chris Michalak (1-3, 4.88).

Michalak will be making his fourth start of the season. He faced Hill last Saturday and allowed three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.