The Reds conclusion to the season's first half mirrored their performance through most of it — equally encouraging and frustrating.

Scott Williamson, former reliever turned starter, pitches to Sandy Alomar in the third inning. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Scott Williamson made a smashing debut as a starter, allowing two runs and three hits in 5ö innings; third baseman Aaron Boone aggravated his injured left knee during a messy ninth inning; and the Cleveland Indians beat the Reds 5-3 before a crowd of 51,181 at Cinergy Field.

        The outcome ended the Reds' three-game winning streak and dropped them eight games behind first-place St. Louis in the National League Central Division entering the All-Star break.

        Still, winning five of their last eight games enabled the Reds (43-44) to relish the next three months, not dread them.

        “I think the way we played the last few games is going to give us a lot of confidence,” said reliever Danny Graves, whose day included a last-minute inclusion onto the NL's All-Star roster and a throwing error that allowed the Indians' two ninth-inning runs, sealing their victory.

        “I think we have the feeling now that we're on the right track,” manager Jack McKeon said.

        Williamson could strengthen the starting rotation the way he bolstered the bullpen as last season's Rookie of the Year.

        Making his first start since the end of the 1998 minor-league season, Williamson maintained the control that often betrayed him as a reliever. The right-hander who averaged 7.3 walks per nine innings and shared the major-league lead with 13 wild pitches issued only one walk and threw no wild pitches.

        After retiring leadoff batter Roberto Alomar on a foul pop-up with the game's first pitch, Williamson went to a full count on the next two batters. But a strikeout/caught-stealing double play steadied Williamson, who threw 52 strikes in 88 pitches.

        Williamson faltered only in the fourth, when Alomar doubled and scored on Ricky Ledee's triple, and in the sixth, when Omar Vizquel homered. Vizquel, who hit a game-winning homer off Williamson last July 10, has homered four times in two years against the Reds.

        “I pitched like I wanted to,” said Williamson, who struck out seven. “I was a little hesitant to throw my change-up, because I had a good breaking ball and I was spotting my fastball.”

        Said McKeon, “He wasn't rearing back trying to strike everybody out. He can still throw hard. But he found out he doesn't have to throw 98 miles an hour on every pitch. That was positive. I'm quite sure he's going to get better once he gets more polished.”

        Williamson's next start probably will come in another interleague game against Detroit. It's questionable whether he'll have Boone playing behind him at that point.

        Boone, who hadn't played since suffering a mild hyperextension of his knee last Wednesday at St. Louis, entered this game in the ninth inning as part of a double-switch with Graves. Though Juan Castro might have been a logical choice to fill in at third base, McKeon wanted to use Boone's superior bat, because his spot was due up fifth in the bottom of the ninth. More importantly, Boone had been given medical clearance to play. “He had been itching to get in,” McKeon said.

        So the Reds received an unpleasant surprise when Boone began hobbling again after he planted his left leg to barehand Jolbert Cabrera's high chopper that went for an infield single.

        Boone, who immediately left the game, will spend his All-Star break resuming his attempt to rehabilitate the knee.

        “I don't think this is anything too serious,” he said.

        “He didn't make it any worse,” team physician Dr. Tim Kremchek said.

        But McKeon was skeptical. “Maybe this time I'll have to give him a week off,” he said.

        Cabrera's hit put Indians on the corners. After retiring Kenny Lofton on a pop-up and intentionally walking Sandy Alomar Jr., Graves one-hopped his throw to first base after fielding Steve Karsay's comebacker. Sean Casey couldn't hold on to the ball, allowing Travis Fryman to score. Graves then hit Alomar to force home Cabrera. This defused the Reds' two-run rally in their half of the ninth.

        “I made the mistake of starting to run the ball over there,” Graves said. “As I was jogging it over, I looked at (Karsay) and he was sprinting. So I felt like I had to get rid of it and I didn't give Casey enough time to get to the bag ... I probably could have thrown it left-handed or kicked it over there better.”

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