Brad Hawpe has been working overtime to regain his power. The right fielder hasn’t hit a home run in 25 games, dating back to a homer on June 30 in Seattle. Heading into Tuesday, Hawpe’s average had dropped from .309 to .299 over his last 13 games. “At times, hitters get into a situation where they lose confidence and they aren’t getting results, so they fall into that trap of trying to muscle the ball,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We are trying to get him to repeat his swing and get him to hit with more balance.”
TSAO THROWS: Pitcher Chin-Hui Tsao threw live batting practice Tuesday for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in May of 2005. “He threw 15 pitches and looked pretty good,” trainer Keith Dugger said. “He actually threw harder than I expected. But we’ll have to wait a few days to see how he feels and how he’s progressing.”
R&R: Jason Smith started at second base Tuesday, giving Jamey Carroll a well-deserved breather.
Hurdle said that “barring an act of God,” he planned to rest third baseman Garrett Atkins tonight.
Atkins has played in 103 of 106 games.
