SARASOTA, Fla. - With two days left in spring training, the likely pattern of the Reds' 1998 season is already getting old: good pitching, no hitting.
The Reds' 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals Friday dropped their spring mark to 12-17, but the record isn't the concern. The problem is it was their third consecutive game scoring three runs or fewer and their eighth in a row scoring four or fewer.
The trend goes back farther and is even worse: the Reds have been held to three runs or fewer in 17 of their 29 spring games. They've lost 13 of those 17.
Manager Jack McKeon's party line is still the same - ''spring training stats don't mean a thing'' - but there is concern in the Reds' clubhouse, especially with Opening Day just four days away. CP:Jack McKeon
''I'm not concerned,'' McKeon restated Friday. ''I'd like to see it get better, but it doesn't count until Opening Day. It's an entirely different season come Tuesday. There's no guarantee it will just turn around, but we're hoping it will.''
The Reds had seven hits in 33 at-bats Friday, a .212 batting average. Eduardo Perez was 3-for-4 and hit his third homer of the spring, but only four other hitters had hits, one each.
Mike Remlinger, meanwhile, pitched well after getting in trouble briefly at the beginning, going five innings, allowing three runs and striking out four. Stan Belinda (two innings) and Brett Tomko (one) were scoreless in relief. Reds pitchers have a 2.83 ERA in the past 12 games.
Sullivan on even keel
Royals 3, Reds 2
Notebook: Tomko coming around
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