--3B Edwin Encarnacion missed three games with a sore left wrist sustained trying to check his swing against LHP Randy Johnson and hopes to be ready by the time the Reds finish their season with a six-game trip to Houston and St. Louis.
--RHP Johnny Cueto (8-13, 4.68), winless in his last four starts (0-2, two no decisions) was given an extra day of rest before facing the Brewers Saturday afternoon in a nationally televised game. --INF Andy Phillips, seldom-used most of the season and hitting only .204 for the season, hit .325 over his last 17 games, including two homers, one on Wednesday that broke a 0-0 tie with the Cardinals when the Reds had no hits in the first three innings.
--RHP Francisco Cordero has converted 11 straight save opportunities and saved four of the team's last five wins, not giving up a run in his last 12 appearances.
--RF Jay Bruce is hitting .205 over an 18-game span during which he hit six home runs, leaving him tied with 1B Joey Votto for the most home runs (21) for somebody still on the team -- and not injured.
BY THE NUMBERS: 7 -- Number of one-run games the Reds played in a row last week. They went 5-2 and are 26-19 this season in one-run games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The only way to learn how to play and win one-run games is to play in them and when you learn that, you become a contender, because contenders always are top-heavy with one-run wins." -- Manager Dusty Baker.
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