(Courtesy of The Sports Xchange)   Heading into action on Saturday, left fielder Matt Murton was second on the team in RBI (16) to Michael Barrett (18).

"I saw it last year -- the way he hits, I had a feeling he would be a guy who drives in runs," manager Dusty Baker said.

Murton, who is in his first full season as a starter, came off a 6-for-30 showing in a recent road trip to drive in six runs in three games against Florida. The 24-year-old handled his first major league slump well.

"It's good to have gone through it," Murton said. "This could happen again. It's a good learning experience for me. I can put it behind me and learn from it."

"Sometimes when you are going through those stretches, pitchers are making very good pitches on you. When that starts to happen, I find myself wanting to swing at pitches I normally wouldn't swing at. Then I start thinking I have to do different things. I just tried to go back to my game. I tried to keep my front side in there a little bit better and worked to (hit to) the middle of the field."

REPLAY: Ronny Cedeno has shown his ability to bunt and take walks since moving to the No. 2 hole, but on Friday, he belted his first home run of the season in a 6-2 victory over Milwaukee.

Cedeno and Jacque Jones each had three hits to help Greg Maddux improve to 5-0 for the first time in his career. Maddux gave up two runs on eight hits in six innings of work to raise his ERA to 1.35.

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NOTES

 --OF Jacque Jones hopes his sluggish start is a thing of the past when he cracked three hits -- including his fourth homer of the year -- in Friday's 6-2 victory over Milwaukee.

--C Michael Barrett, who has a sprained middle finger, missed a start on Friday afternoon against Milwaukee, but manager Dusty Baker hopes he will be available to start on Saturday.

--RHP Kerry Wood (shoulder and knee surgery) is slated to throw four innings in a Rookie League game on Tuesday in Arizona. If all goes well after that, it's possible he will head out for a minor league rehab assignment on May 7.

--RHP Mark Prior (shoulder soreness) threw 40 pitches of batting practice in extended spring training and in the next few days could throw a three-inning, 60-pitch simulated game.

--RHP Scott Williamson complained about a momentum-changing balk that was called on him by first-base umpire Bruce Froemming in Wednesdays' 7-5 loss to Florida. Williamson said Froemming wouldn't explain what he did to earn the balk and swore at him to get back to the mound. Froemming told the Chicago Tribune that he did not swear at the pitcher and called the balk because Williamson made a move toward home plate before throwing to first.

BY THE NUMBERS: 323 -- Career victories for Greg Maddux after Friday's 6-2 win over Milwaukee. He is one away from 13th on the all-time win list, currently shared by Hall of Famers Don Sutton and Nolan Ryan.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I tried to stay calm. After I pitched, (teammate) Greg Maddux came up to me and asked how I was feeling. I told him my mouth was real dry. He's like 'don't worry -- keep doing that for the next 10 years.'" -- Rookie pitcher Angel Guzman, on his April 26 major league debut.

ROSTER REPORT

MEDICAL WATCH:

RHP Kerry Wood (shoulder and knee surgery) made a Rookie League appearance Wednesday (April 26). He is likely to pitch again Monday.

RHP Wade Miller (shoulder surgery) should be back in June.

RHP Mark Prior (strained shoulder) is throwing on the mound again, but no timetable has been set for his return.

OF Angel Pagan (hamstring, knee) should be back in late May.

1B Derrek Lee (broken right wrist) will be out at least through May.

C Michael Barrett (sprained left middle finger) is day-to-day.
 

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