Brian Johnson is greeted by Dmitri Young, Aaron Boone and Sean Casey after his 3-run HR. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        After amassing eight runs and 12 hits on Opening Day, the Reds added six runs in Tuesday night's first two innings, which says a lot about their offensive potential. The Reds also fell to 0-2 after their 7-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants, which says a lot about their pitching.

        Barry Bonds, who hit his 412th career homer earlier in the game, added to his Hall of Fame-caliber credentials by lining an opposite-field double on Gabe White's 0-2 pitch with two outs in the eighth inning, scoring Rich Aurilia to snap a 6-6 tie.

        But the Reds' 6-0 lead started eroding earlier when Jason Bere (five innings, four runs) and his successors began issuing their combined nine walks. Two of those baserunners scored, and another immediately preceded Bonds' winning hit.

        Bere was afflicted with the same malady that struck Opening Day starter Brett Tomko, who walked three in 3 2/3 innings. The free passes hurt Bere on a night he stroked more singles (two) than he allowed (one), and struck out four in the first three innings. He permitted four runs in his final two innings, capped by consecutive fifth-inning homers by Bonds — a two-run shot — and Jeff Kent.

Jason Bere waits for home-run hitter Jeff Kent to round the bases. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        “My job is to be out there the majority of the game, not half the game. Walks were the reason,” Bere said. “Walking those guys not only puts guys on base but drives up your pitch counts. That's why I could stay out there for only five innings.”

        With Tomko and Bere combining to work just 8 1/3 innings, the Reds' bullpen is in danger of becoming prematurely spent, since the team began the season with a 10-man staff. Manager Jack McKeon has been forced to use four relievers in each game.

        “They have to take us through the sixth or seventh inning,” McKeon said of the starters. “You get leads, you have to hold them.”

        Of course, he added, that also goes for the bullpen, which blew an 8-6 lead on Monday and was bequeathed a 6-4 edge after Bere departed.

        “You just have to let them work their way out of it,” McKeon said. “They're better than they've shown. ... We just have to run them out there.”

Pokey Reese is ready to tag out Marvin Benard trying to steal. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        San Francisco actually used more relievers (five). But they surrendered only three hits in the final seven innings after former Giant Brian Johnson's three-run homer provided the biggest hit in the Reds' five-run first inning off starter Kirk Rueter. Barry Larkin, who homered to ignite that outburst, collected an infield single and scored the Reds' final run in the second inning.

        Having entered the game with a 5-0 lifetime record against the Reds, including 4-0 at Cinergy Field, Rueter's 1 2/3-inning performance was his shortest as a Giant and the second-shortest of his career. But he escaped with no decision, as he did in his shortest outing (one-third of an inning for Montreal against St.Louis on May 15, 1994).

        Cincinnati clung to a 6-5 lead entering the Giants' eighth, which began with Brent Mayne's single to center off Danny Graves (0-1). Mayne advanced to second base on Johnson's passed ball and scored the tying run on Aurilia's double past first base.

        Two outs later, Graves walked Ellis Burks. With the left-handed Bonds due up, White relieved Graves, a sound move based on lefty-versus-lefty percentages. Based on Bonds' career performance against White (3-for-5, one double), however, it was a little risky.

Rich Aurelia wraps his arms around Sean Casey to keep from falling after they collided. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        But as McKeon said: “Let's face it — he (Bonds) hits righties or lefties. You just have to take your chances. It doesn't make much difference to him.”

        After fouling off two pitches, the second on a checked swing, Bonds notched his ground-rule double, lining a head-high fastball off the left-field foul pole.

        “You have to throw the ball where he can't even touch it in that situation,” White said. “It doesn't matter if it was a good pitch or a bad pitch. The results were it was a bad pitch.”

        Ahead two strikes, White could have tried to trick Bonds or get him to chase a bad pitch.

        “But I didn't feel like I could mess around, either, and get in trouble by putting him on base,” White said.

        True enough. The Reds already have been reminded how hazardous that can be.

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