HOUSTON - A dayafter being thrown out of a major-league game for the first time despite uttering no profanities, Reds first baseman Sean Casey stuck to his principles.

        “I feel like I had a right to say what I said, for the fact that I thought I was in the right,” said Casey, who disputed a called third strike in Sunday's fifth inning and was ejected by umpire Mike Van Vleet after returning to the Reds' bench.

        “When I went back to the dugout, I said it was the same pitch (as the one before, which was called a ball). I didn't think I said anything out of the ordinary.”

        Casey also reaffirmed his respect for Van Vleet, who he has known since both were in the minors.

        “He's a good guy,” Casey said. “I wasn't trying to show him up or anything like that. I was just trying to state a point.”

        Casey's wife, Mandi, wasn't sure what he was doing.

        “Her first words when I called her were, "I can't believe you got thrown out,'” Casey related.

        SCRAMBLED ORDER: Still trying to find his most productive batting order, McKeon used Casey in the cleanup spot for the first time since April 22, elevated Dmitri Young to second, put Dante Bichette in fifth and dropped Eddie Taubensee to sixth.

        It was Casey's fourth different position in the order in as many days. He hit sixth Friday, fifth Saturday and second Sunday. In May, Bichette and Taubensee have floated among fourth, fifth and sixth.

        “We're trying to find someone to knock in some runs somewhere. I have to keep juggling,” McKeon said.

        DMITRI UNDAUNTED: Young didn't mourn the end of his hitting streak, which reached 18 games until he went 0-for-4 Sunday night.

        “It's time to get (Jose) Lima (Houston's starter Monday),” Young said. “It's nice to have and achieve. I mean, you always want get a hit. It more or less shows consistency.”

        Young's streak was the longest in the NL this season and the second-longest in the majors, behind the 19-gamer by Detroit's Juan Encarnacion.

        Young hit .362 (25-for-69) with two homers and 12 RBI. It was the longest streak by a Red since Hal Morris posted a 29-gamer from Aug. 27, 1996 until the end of the season.

        HEALTHY RESPECT: The Reds and Astros next meet here at Enron Field July 19-20. McKeon fully expects Houston to be in the thick of the NL Central race at that point.

        “They're not going to go away,” McKeon said. “They're too good a club. If they get their pitching straightened out, they're fine.”

        TRADE COMPLETED: The Reds sent Single-A reliever Gene Altman to Milwaukee to complete the Jan. 14 trade that brought them outfielder Alex Ochoa for first baseman-outfielder Mark Sweeney.

        Altman, 21, was 2-0 with a 3.78 ERA in nine appearances with Dayton.

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