Murphy suggested lineup switch (66-minute delay; now underway)

DENVER - Manager Dusty Baker said he is open to his players giving him advice on lineup construction.

Facing right-hander German Márquez, Baker went lefty-righty all the way through the lineup. It places Bryce Harper third, Ryan Zimmerman cleanup and Daniel Murphy in the fifth spot. Baker confirmed it was Murphy who came to him with the idea.

"You know what really made up my mind is when Murphy came to me and says 'Hey man, Zim's really hot,' and I was like 'OK'," Baker detailed. "And he says, 'it might be time to split up the lefties'. But it helped to hear it from them, which I'm open to hearing from my players even though usually they don't influence me that much. Kind of do what I want to do. But it reinforces it to be an easier decision if they are thinking it in the first place. That was big of Murph and that was big for the team.

"And who knows? Like I told you from the beginning, the lineup you start with isn't necessarily the lineup you end with. Might change a couple of more times between now and then, but it's working right now."

Baker said he is looking to give Zimmerman a day off before the team returns home to face the Mets Friday.

Baker said he wanted to give Bryce Harper the day off yesterday, but it's tough to give hot hitters a day off when they are rolling.

And how do hitters react when told they won't start at a hitter's park such as Coors Field?

"Usually not too well," Baker said. "If you are going good, it doesn't matter if you are playing in Yellowstone. If you are going bad, it doesn't matter if you're playing in a Little League park. It doesn't matter."

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Baker confirmed that Stephen Strasburg's wife, Rachel, gave birth to a baby girl, their second child. Strasburg has been on paternity leave since Monday. His next turn would come up this weekend at home against the Mets and could be as early as Friday night. No pitching probables have been announced yet for the Mets series.

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Infielder Stephen Drew said he is "getting better and ahead of schedule" as he recovers from a right hamstring strain. Drew has done some light running and worked on the stationary bike. He has been on the 10-day disabled list since April 12.