BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Chris Stynes slides safley into second base with a double as the Rockies' Kurt Abbott aplies the tag. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

DENVER - A long and arduous day came to an end for the Reds after nearly 14 hours at the ballpark, and all they had to show for it were two losses, their sixth and seventh in a row.

A day-night doubleheader neccessitated by a rainout, coupled with a 1 hour, 31 minute rain delay during the second game, resulted in two losses Thursday to the Rockies, 6-4 in the afternoon and 6-4 at night. The Reds, who outscored the Rockies 44-24 in a four-game series here in April, never led in either game.

''Too little offense, too late,'' Reds manager Jack McKeon said. ''Once again, you have to score more than four runs to win here.''

In the second game, the Rockies scored two runs off Reds starter Pete Harnisch before the delay and two after, and the dormant Cincinnati offense again failed to capitilize on Coors Field.

Harnisch (7-5), pitching his first game since signing a two-year, $7 million contract Tuesday, was touched for two runs in the first inning when Larry Walker singled and Dante Bichette crushed a homer to left.

A heavy rain delayed the game after the second inning, and the Rockies slapped Harnisch for two more runs after play resumed in the third, this time on a towering two-run blast to right-center by the reigning National League MVP, Larry Walker.

The Reds struck back for two on a homer to left by seldom-used Eduardo Perez, a 428-foot shot that scored Paul Konerko, who had singled. It was the second long homer from Perez - who hit one into the red seats at Cinergy Field on Sunday - in the last five games.

Perez just missed a third one in his next at-bat, giving a Bobby Jones pitch a long ride in the sixth before Bichette caught up to it just in front of the 390-foot marker in left-center field.

Harnisch gave up two more in the sixth and ended with one of his worst starts of a solid season, going six innings and allowing six runs.

The Reds, now 12 games under .500 at 45-57, got their third run in the eighth when Pokey Reese walked and scored on Barry Larkin's single over the head of Rockies shortstop Neifi Perez for an RBI single.

Colorado needed three relievers to close out the ninth with Curtis Leskanic striking out Chris Stynes with runners at first and second for his second save.

Bret Boone snapped an 0-for-15 slide with a single in the second game.

The Reds had swept seven of their previous 11 doubleheaders since being swept by the New York Mets on Sept. 27, 1995.

Game 1: Rockies 6, Reds 4

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