Monday, August 10, 1998

BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Aaron Boone leaps over Brewers' Fernando Vina at third base after an errant throw from catcher Guillermo Garcia. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Steve Parris described his outing Sunday like this: "Not terrible, but not good enough."

It wasn't good enough for the Reds to win -- they lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 -- and it might not be good enough for Parris to keep his spot in the Reds rotation.

Parris went five innings, allowing four hits and three runs (two earned). It was typical Parris: Four solid innings, then trouble. He hasn't gone past the seventh inning in any of his eight starts and he's gone five or less in four of them.

"We've got to get more than five innings out of these guys," Reds manager Jack McKeon said.

In Parris' case, he may get one more chance to do it. The Reds plan to activate Jason Bere in time for Tuesday's game. The plan is to let Bere get in game shape in the bullpen, then move him to the starting rotation with an eye toward next year.

"We'd like him to be the Pete Harnisch of 1999," McKeon said. Parris, a 30-year-old right-hander who began the year at Indianapolis, says he can't be concerned about such things.

"I'm not worried about it at all," he said. "I just take it one game as time. If he (Bere) throws well, they have a decision to make. That's out of my hands."

The Reds' streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings ended quickly. Fernando Vina led off the game with a single. He

Vina stole second and third and scored on catcher Guillermo Garcia's throwing error.

Parris got all three outs on strikeouts.

Parris allowed two more runs in the fifth.

"Four singles and a walk," he said, "'and I give up three runs."

The Brewers' final run came off reliever Scott Sullivan in the sixth.

The Reds rallied for three runs in the eighth on Willie Greene's double. He scored on Pat Watkins' single, and Barry Larkin got Watkins home with a triple. It was Larkin's eighth triple, which is career-high and puts him in a tie for the National League lead.

Dmitri Young drove Larkin in with a sacrifice fly.

"It was good we came back," McKeon said. "In the last week or so, we've been coming back. Earlier in the year, we might have cashed it in."