Sean Casey reacts after striking out to end the eighth. (Craig Ruttle photos) | ZOOM |

        All year, the Reds brain trust has been telling everyone who will listen that if the team gets good pitching, the wins will come. Sunday, the Reds got really good pitching and they still lost 3-1 to Florida Marlins before a crowd of 36,754 at Cinergy Field.

        Starter Denny Neagle went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits.

        “You can't ask for any more out of the pitching,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. “We say, "Hold them to three runs, and we'll win.' Basically, we've been holding them to three runs, and we're not winning.”

        The numbers support that contention. Over the last 10 games, the Reds team ERA is 2.96 — absolutely sterling in this age of offense — but the Reds have split those 10 games.

        The reason? They've scored four or fewer runs in seven of the last 10 games.

        When the Reds traded for Ken Griffey Jr. and Dante Bichette and put them in the middle of a lineup that in cluded Pokey Reese, Barry Larkin, Sean Casey, Dmitri Young, Eddie Taubensee and Aaron Boone, scoring runs wasn't supposed to be a problem.

Denny Neagle leaves in the eighth with a 1-0 lead. | ZOOM |

SET AS WALLPAPER: Click here for bigger image, then right click to Set As Wallpaper

        The Reds did get hits Sunday. They just didn't get the big hits. They had 10 hits on the day (all but one was a single) and they were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

        “We've got to get our offense in gear,” McKeon said. “We can't get that two-out hit to break it open.”

        The Reds have now lost two of three series after winning four straight series. The Reds, 27-22, remained a game behind St. Louis in the National League Central. The Cardinals lost to New York Sunday.

        The Reds had three big chances against Marlins starter Ryan Dempster:

        • In the first, Barry Larkin singled and Ken Griffey Jr. walked with one out. After Dante Bichette lined softly to shortstop, Dmitri Young doubled to get Larkin home. That gave the Reds runners at second and third. But Eddie Taubensee struck out.

        • In the third, Larkin and Bichette sandwiched singles around a flyout by Griffey. But Young struck out and Taubensee bounced out.

        • In the seventh, Sean Casey led off with a single. Aaron Boone tried to bunt him over and ended up beating it out for a single. Neagle flied to left. Then Pokey Reese flied to center. Larkin loaded the bases with his third hit of the game. But Griffey struck out to end the threat.

        Griffey was 1-for-10 in the series and has four hits in his last 33 at-bats.

        “I'm not allowed to be human?” he said. “You write what you saw. It doesn't matter what I say.”

Scott Sullivan didn't give much relief. | ZOOM |

        Well, it looks like Griffey is not getting pitches to hit. He's hitting .205 with runners in scoring position. But he should not be singled out — it's a problem throughout the Reds lineup. Sunday's 2-for-10 left the Reds at .227 with runners in scoring position for the year.

        Eddie Taubensee, who hit .331 last year with runners in scoring position, is hitting .182. Bichette, who hit .343 last year with runners in scoring position, is hitting .213.

        Alex Ochoa is the only player on the roster hitting above .300 with runners in scoring position. Ochoa, who didn't play Sunday, is 6-for-18 (.333).

        “We've got to cash in,” McKeon said. “Not just one guy — all of us. Last year's stats are in the past. It's not early anymore. It's almost June.”

        Florida starter Ryan Dempster did pitch a nice game. He went 7ö innings, allowing nine hits and the one run. He improved his record to 6-3 and dropped his ERA to 3.36.

        To win he needed only Danny Bautista's three-run home run off Scott Sullivan in the eighth inning.

        “I've got to tip my hat to the kid,” Neagle said. “I knew early on that we were in for a battle.”

        McKeon credited Dempster but put part of the blame on his hitters.

        “We were swinging at bad pitches,” he said. “It's tough to be patient. But, just because it's a fastball count, 2-0, 3-1, doesn't mean you have to swing. Make him throw strikes.”

        The Reds did get one last chance when pinch-hitter Michael Tucker got a one-out hit in the ninth. But here's how the offense has been going lately: Reese grounded into a game-ending double play. Before that, Reese had gone the longest in the majors — 189 at-bats — without hitting into a double play.

Marlins 3, Reds 1 Box, runs Results of our Reds poll Sullivan fails in relief Griffey slumping again Opinions vary on ballpark designs

Montoya puts CART before IRL horses
Indy 500 finish
Women take each other out of 500
Rain only delays Tiger's sure victory
IRL embarrassment to Speedway
Tiger ready 'to get the job done'
Unser's finish career worst
Elder-Moeller to play today
Cincinnati prep tournament schedule
N.Ky. prep tournament schedule
Raiders' Turner dies of cancer
Satterfield, Logan finalists for U.S. team

• Return to Reds front page...