Sunday, August 06, 2000
Marlins 9, Reds 6
Reds' condition grave after 5th straight loss
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Danny Graves had been the one Red immune from the black cloud that has settled over this season. Not anymore.
Graves, who blew a save Saturday night, took the loss Sunday as the Florida Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the Reds 9-6 at Cinergy Field. The Reds have lost five straight overall.
“Every year I go through a funk,” Graves said. “The last two years I've gone through it at the beginning of the year and got it out of the way. Right now, everything I throw up there, they're hitting where it can't be caught.”
Graves entered Sunday's game in the eighth with the score tied at 6. Derrek Lee and Andy Fox hit back-to-back home runs to untie it. Graves allowed an unearned run in the ninth.
His ERA, which was 1.99 at the All-Star break, is up to 2.47. Graves has blown two of his last three saves chances, and he has lost three of four decisions since opening the season 9-0.
Graves knew he couldn't pitch the way he started the season forever.
“"The first four months, I kept thinking when is the funk going to happen,” Graves said.
Graves lives by the sinker ball. When it doesn't sink, he's in major trouble. Back-to-back home runs would indicate it's not sinking.
“I'm just really shaky right now,” he said. “I'm overthrowing. My arm is dragging. It really easy to get into a funk and really hard to get out of it.”
The Reds can testify to that.
They came home after a 4-2 road trip full of optimism. The St. Louis Cardinals were only four games ahead in the National League Central. The Marlins were seen as a team ripe for the beating.
Instead, the Marlins swept the Reds for first time in history, and the Cardinals' lead is back to six games with the Braves coming to Cinergy tonight.
The Reds maintain the “It's not over” stance. But the reality is only 52 games remain.
“We'd like to at least make a run at the Cardinals,” Graves said.
The Reds, a team that so charmed last year, seems to be just opposite this year.
“Last year, whatever we did went right,” Graves said. “That's when you know the baseball gods are looking out for you.”
Sunday's game was an example how different things are this year. The Reds didn't hit when they had to, they made two critical errors and neither Graves nor starter Scott Williamson (four innings, six runs) pitched well.
You only have to look at how the game started to see why the Reds lost.
Chris Stynes, Juan Castro and Ken Griffey Jr. started the game with hits. Griffey's scored Stynes, leaving the Reds with runners at first and third and no outs.
“You've got to break the game open when you get a chance like that,” McKeon said.
The Reds instead came out of empty after Dante Bichette, Sean Casey and Michael Tucker struck out.
Then in the ninth, Bichette and Casey started the inning by walking. Again, the Reds got zilch out of it. Dmitri Young and Benito Santiago struck out and Pokey Reese popped out to end the game.
The Reds were 4-for-17 with runners in the scoring position Sunday. They are 12-for-55 (.163) in such situations during the five-game losing streak.
“There's no excuse,” Santiago said. “When you have runners on, you've got to hit.”
Still, if Graves is himself, the Reds likely would have had a chance to win it in the eighth or ninth.
“He was so sharp until lately,” McKeon said. “He's entitled to a bad outing every once in a while.”
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Marlins 9, Reds 6