(Sports Network) - Right-hander Homer Bailey makes his second start of 2008 tonight when the Cincinnati Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series between National League Central Division foes at Great American Ball Park.

The seventh overall pick of the 2004 draft, Bailey reached the majors and made nine starts last season, going 4-2 with a 5.76 earned run average in 45 1/3 innings.

He allowed 43 hits and 29 earned runs, while walking 28 batters and striking out 28.

Bailey was recalled from Triple-A Louisville and made his initial start of the year on June 5 at Philadelphia, allowing four hits and two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings while taking a 5-0 loss to the Phillies.

He has never faced the Cardinals.

On Monday in Florida, Ken Griffey, Jr. joined elite company with his 600th career home run, highlighting Cincinnati's 9-4 victory over Florida in the finale of a four-game set.

The 413-foot milestone was a 3-1 offering from Mark Hendrickson (7-4), a down- and-in breaking pitch that hung in Griffey, Jr.'s wheelhouse and was deposited deep into the right-field seats tight to the line.

The round-tripper was Griffey's seventh of the season. He had been sitting on No. 599 since a two-run, first-inning blast off Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens on May 31.

Griffey is first among active players with 600 homers, with home-run king Barry Bonds (762) and Sammy Sosa (609) not currently a part of a major league roster. The 600-home run club also includes Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays.

The next active player behind Griffey on the all-time list is Alex Rodriguez (528), who sits at 15th, six behind Jimmie Foxx.

Griffey, Jr.'s milestone overshadowed a power perfect night for catcher Paul Bako, a veteran journeyman who hit two home runs and drove home five runs in the victory.

Edinson Volquez (9-2) was the recipient of the power display, pitching six solid innings with three runs allowed on three hits with five walks and five strikeouts.

Brandon Phillips hit a solo home run and Edwin Encarnacion scored twice for the Reds, who salvaged a split in the four-game series in south Florida.

Youngster Mitchell Boggs makes the first start of his major-league career for St. Louis.

The 24-year-old Georgia native began the season at Triple-A Memphis and was 5-1 with a 3.28 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 44 and walking 24 in 71 1/3 innings.

He got the call-up after a series of injuries to the Cardinals' major-league starting staff and a doubleheader on Thursday which depleted the bullpen.

Boggs made his big-league debut one game later against Houston, allowing three hits and a run in a two-inning relief outing.

The Astros won the game, 6-1.

On Sunday in Houston, Brendan Ryan's two-run single highlighted a five-run seventh inning, as the Cardinals downed the Astros, 5-4, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse (7-2) gave up three runs on five hits in six innings of work to collect the win.

Brian Barton, Troy Glaus and Yadier Molina each had a hit for the Cardinals, who were held to four in the game. St. Louis has won two straight and four of its last six overall.

St. Louis took tow of three from the Reds earlier in the season at Busch.