"Joey Votto should consider it a compliment, but when your batting average is disappearing like a 401-K, compliments don't soothe the pain.

Votto was 0 for 15 with six strikeouts so Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker gave Votto a comfortable seat in the dugout for Tuesday's game.

"Joey needs it and deserves it," said Baker. "His concentration isn't quite there. Usually he is at a very high level of concentration. I can tell he is frustrated. He doesn't get angry, but he has been getting angry lately and you can tell.

"Teams are pitching him tough. When you get to a certain level of excellence, they are going to throw 94 to him when they're throwing 91-92 to everyone else. And that's the truth," Baker added.

"That's why I admire the guys who have been at the top of their game for so long when you know pitchers are going to throw their best stuff at them," said Baker. "And they spend more time on Joey in their pre-game meetings.

"All this comes with the territory of being held in high esteem," Baker continued. "And if they have one lefthander in the bullpen, they are going to save him for Joey. And even though he is not going well, they still intentionally walk him, which adds to the level of frustration."

Uh, never mind

Brandon Phillips dramatically told the media after Monday's doubleheader that he was playing with a fractured left wrist. His story changed before Tuesday's game. A misunderstanding, he said.

"My wrist is not broken," he said. "I didn't mean to say broken. I know I didn't say broken. I said fractured. I didn't know fractured and broken were like the same thing.

"My wrist feels like it is fractured," Phillips added. "The last time I took an X-Ray, it said nothing broken. Broken or fractured, basically is the same thing, so, well, it feels like it is broken, I mean fractured. Broken. It's the same thing.

"But my (left) wrist really does bother me," he continued. "Is that it? Is it cool? I'd have to sit out, sit on the bench, that's the only thing that will make it better. And I won't do that.""