Chicago @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 11, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 1, Cincinnati 3

The Cincinnati Reds will look to keep momentum going their way when they battle the floundering Chicago Cubs in a weekend series beginning tonight.

The Reds won two of three games from the New York Mets earlier this week with both victories coming on dramatic game-winning homers. Laynce Nix won Monday’s game with an 11th-inning homer and Orlando Cabrera had the decisive blast in the 10th inning Wednesday.

The heroics mean that nine of Cincinnati’s 14 wins have come in the team’s final at-bat, an impressive example of a team never giving up.

Meanwhile, Chicago limps into Cincinnati on the heels of being swept by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. When the fourth-place Cubs (13-16) look at the National League Central standings, they can now find the Pirates ahead of them.

They can also see Cincinnati (14-14) sitting in second place in the division. The Reds send Homer Bailey to the mound tonight against Chicago’s Carlos Silva.

Bailey (0-1) and Silva (2-0) squared off April 9, with neither pitcher involved in the decision of a game the Cubs won 5-4.

Bailey allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings, while Silva gave up one run and three hits in six innings.

Silva has a 2.90 earned-run average and has lasted six innings in four of five starts. Bailey has a 6.04 ERA and has allowed 37 hits and 13 walks in 28 1/3 innings.

Bailey’s presence could be a good thing for Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, who is struggling along with a .223 average. Lee is 5-for-7 lifetime against Bailey.

Lee isn’t the only highly paid Chicago player that’s underachieving at the plate. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez is batting just .148.

Left fielder Alfonso Soriano (.315) has been swinging the bat well with five homers and 11 RBIs over the last six games. Shortstop Ryan Theriot (.341) also has been faring well and had a 13-game hitting streak end on Wednesday.

Scoring runs on the road has been tough for the Cubs. They have managed just 60 runs in 16 road games (6-10) and 25 of the runs came in a three-game series at Milwaukee.

For Cincinnati, first baseman Joey Votto is 8-for-19 (.421) in May to raise his average to .303. Third baseman Scott Rolen leads the Reds with six homers and Cabrera has a team-best 16 RBIs.

The Reds need to get leadoff man Drew Stubbs untracked. Cincinnati’s center fielder is hitting just .174 with a woeful .267 on-base percentage.