ATLANTA (AP) -Chicago manager Lou Piniella held outfielders Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley out of the lineup Monday night so both could rest.
With a makeup game with the Atlanta Braves, the Cubs are playing 22 straight days, a streak that began after a June 16 rainout against the White Sox.
Soriano, who leads the team with 14 homers, is hitting .153 in 118 at-bats over his last 27 games, dropping the left fielder’s average to .224. Piniella also gave his leadoff hitter a day off May 23.
Shortstop Ryan Theriot took Soriano’s place at the top of the order for the fourth time this season. Rookie Jake Fox made his first career start in left field.
Bradley is hitting .311 in 45 plate appearances this month. The right fielder’s average has risen 121 points to .248 over his last 34 games. Micah Hoffpauir started his 12th game in right field.
end, the Cubs had won four straight.
Reed Johnson, the Cubs’ fourth outfielder, couldn’t start because he’s listed day-to-day with a tight back.
“For all practical purposes, he’s not available (to pinch-hit),” Piniella said. “We’re going to be very careful with this.”
Piniella indicated that third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who missed his 36th straight game with a dislocated left shoulder, will try to take light batting practice when the Cubs begin a three-game series in Detroit on Tuesday. On the disabled list since May 9, Ramirez has surpassed 100 RBIs in six of the last eight years.
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