By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Monday's game

CHICAGO - When Bob Boone called Brandon Larson Monday morning and said he wanted to see him in an hour, Larson thought was headed for Louisville.

He wasn't. Boone wanted to talk about hitting and life. They spent an hour chatting in Boone's room.

"We talked about a lot more than hitting," he said. "It was a pretty awesome meeting."

The 26-year-old third baseman is in the mother of all slumps He went into Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs hitting .088. Boone sees Larson's problem as hitting position.

"We didn't talk about his swing at all," Boone said. "We talked about getting into position and seeing the ball."

What Larson is going through, Boone said, is common.

"Everybody who's played gets out of synch," Boone said. "The veteran guys, who have been through it, know how to get it back."

Getting into position is no guarantee that you will hit.

"You have to get strong hitting position to maximize your chances," he said.

Boone did drop Larson to eighth in the batting order.

CASEY TO MISS: Sean Casey won't be here for the Reds game with the Cubs on Thursday.

Casey's wife, Mandi, is set to deliver their second child that day. She'll have labor induced. "We were going to do it Wednesday," Casey said. "But I'm getting in so late Wednesday night that we're going to do it Thursday morning. I'll be in San Juan for Friday's game."

FELIX THE SAVIOR: Felix Heredia's performance Sunday - three innings of one-hit, shutout ball in the 13-1 blowout loss to Philadelphia - was not only his best of the year, it saved the rest of the bullpen.

"He allowed us to keep the other (bullpen) guys out of it," Boone said. "We're loaded up pretty good for (Monday)."

Heredia's effort came the day after he threw 42 pitches.

"Maybe that's what he needed," Boone said. "It's the best he's looked."

The Reds don't have a long man in the bullpen in the Jim Brower/Ron Villone mode.

"That's nice to have," Boone said. "You put them in there and have them go five, six innings. Maybe Heredia's that guy."

STAT STORY: The Reds entered Monday's game last in the National League in fielding (.963), hitting (.217) and second last in pitching (5.64 ERA). Austin Kearns led the majors in home runs (six) and slugging percentage (.800). Take Kearns' numbers out and the team average falls to .202.

WEATHER REPORT: Word circulated in the Reds' clubhouse of what kind of weather to expect for the series with the Montreal Expos in San Juan.

"I heard it was 135 (degrees) on the turf," Kent Mercker said.

Indeed, it was for the Expos-New York Mets game on Sunday.

The air temperature was 95 degrees. Hiram Bithorn Stadium has artificial turf.

"That will be a good test for these young athletes," Boone said.

PITCHING DEPTH: Right-hander Jeff Austin allowed one earned run on three hits in the Triple-A Louisville's 8-2 victory over Durham. Austin (2-0, 2.25 ERA). Chris Reitsma (1-1, 2.57) and Seth Etherton (2-0, 2.53) have pitched well at Louisville. "That's encouraging," Boone said.

UP NEXT: The Reds take on the Cubs in the second game of the four-game series. Right-hander Danny Graves (0-1, 7.59) takes on former Red left-hander Shawn Estes (0-1, 7.36) in a 2:20 game.