Jul 1
RF Alex Rios was dropped to seventh in the lineup by manager Cito Gaston for the second time this homestand. Rios opened the season hitting third and hit there for 61 games. The last two weeks he was shuffled to No. 6, and now it's No. 7. Gaston was asked what his reaction would have been during the spring if he had been told that Rios would be hitting seventh. "I'd have thought that would be bad," Gaston replied. "He's someone we need to step up and play well. Hopefully he'll do that before it's all over." On the homestand, Rios is 3-for-25.
Jun 27
Rios, in an 8-for-38 (.211) skid, was dropped down to the seventh spot in the lineup on Friday.
Recommendation: Rios showed some signs of turning it around with back-to-back homers on June 13 and 14 but he's had just two multi-hit efforts in his last 11 games, dropping his totals for June to .250/.313/.409.
