Power Struggle Troubles Chipper

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Houston -- Chipper Jones was half-joking when he wandered over to the wall where the lineup was posted and wondered aloud if he was playing.

Considering the way he has been hitting in the last eight games, he wouldn't have been surprised if manager Bobby Cox had omitted his name.

"I have no clue (at the plate)," Jones said. "I'm just not picking up the ball, I'm not picking up off-speed stuff. It's a mode you go through once or twice a year."

The third baseman was hitting .358 on May 9. However, with only six hits in his last 30 at-bats, his average has dropped to .329. He also has almost twice as many strikeouts (five) than RBI (three) in the last eight games.

"You can't get off to the start I got off to and not expect to go through a period like this," Jones said. "I go up for one or two at-bats and feel good and stick my hits in. Then I have a night to think about it and I come back the next day and it's the same old thing."

Hitting in the Astrodome is contributing to his slump. Jones said he doesn't see the ball well here and his 0-for-4 performance in Friday's series opener was further evidence of his discomfort. He struck out twice, flied out and tapped a pitch back to the pitcher, then was a combined 3 for 8 Saturday and Sunday.

"(A slump) can last anywhere for three or four games to 10 days to two weeks," he said. "I went through one at the beginning of last season when I couldn't hit water if I fell out of a boat."

Still, for all his recent struggles, Jones remains among league leaders in nine categories and is on pace to far surpass his career-best home-run and RBI totals.

"Right now is when you want a day off and we don't have it," he said. "When you're going good, a day off is the last thing on your mind."

By Bill Zack

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