There are slumps, and then there are off years. Eddie Taubensee's slump has turned into an off year.

        “It's been the same way for the last two months,” Taubensee said.

        Taubensee was hitting .347 on May 3, and he hit a home run that day. But he hasn't hit a homer since and has hit only .199 with three doubles and seven RBI in that stretch.

        “That's one bat we were counting on,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said.

        Taubensee has hit .289 in his six years with the Reds and is coming off his best season: .311 with 21 home runs and 87 RBI. So this year's .243 average, four home runs and 20 RBI are out of character for him.

        Taubensee, who hit .331 with runners in scoring position last year, is hitting .169 in such situations this year. He went 87 at-bats without an RBI at one point.

        Taubensee hit with Ken Griffey Sr. before Tuesday's game, and Senior stressed that one of the keys to hitting is relaxing.

        “When you get in a slump, you want to get out of it as quick as you can,” Taubensee said. “I think I've tried too hard at times.”

        Taubensee had fallen behind fellow catcher Benito Santiago in playing time. But then Santiago slumped; he entered Tuesday's game with 11 hits in his last 75 at-bats (.147).

        Jason LaRue is hitting .255 with 14 homers and 47 RBI at Triple-A Louisville. He could be with the Reds before long if Taubensee and Santiago don't start to hit.

        ROTATION TURNS: Larry Luebbers threw off the mound Tuesday and reported no ill effects. Tight ness in his forearm caused him to miss his last start.

        “It was fine,” Luebbers said. “Very encouraging.”

        Luebbers isn't yet scheduled to make another start. With Thursday's off day, the Reds moved Elmer Dessens and Pete Harnisch up a day. Dessens will start Friday in Montreal; Harnisch will go Saturday.

        “We wanted to keep them (starting) on their fifth day,” pitching coach Don Gullett said. “We're 5¹/₂ games out. You want your best pitchers out there.”

        Gullett said if Scott Williamson pitched well in Tuesday's start, he would be the No.3 starter.

        “We'll use some combination of (Ron) Villone, (Steve) Parris and Luebbers (to fill out the rotation),” Gullett said.

        PETE OK: Harnisch said his left ankle, which forced him out of Monday's game, is sore but won't cost him any more playing time.

        “I'll get it taped up,” he said, “and it'll be fine.”

        AUSTIN POWERS: Austin Kearns' streak came to an end Tuesday. Kearns, the Reds' 1998 No.1 pick, had homered in eight straight games for Single-A Dayton before going 0-for-3 with a walk in Dayton's 1-0 loss to West Michigan. The streak is a Midwest League record. Kearns hit .720 (18-for-25) with 20 RBI during his run.

        GRAVES SITUATION: Danny Graves, who blew a save Monday for only the second time in 19 tries, will get some time off.

        “We've worked him hard the last five or six days,” Gullett said. “We're going to back off for a day or two.”

        UP NEXT: Parris (5-12, 5.56 ERA) will face Houston right-hander Scott Elarton (9-4, 5.44) at 12:35 p.m. today.

        Parris has lost two straight starts, giving up 10 runs on 16 hits in 10ö innings over those two games.

Reds 4, Astros 7 Box, Runs Reds notebook: Taubensee's slump continues Scouts keep busy at Cinergy

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