Scott Williamson had not given up more than three runs in any of his previous five starts, but he got lit up Sunday for six runs (five earned) in four innings of work.

        “I know I would eventually have a bad outing,” he said. “Unfortunately, it came today after we had lost a couple of games in a row.”

        Williamson was coming off an outing in which he worked six scoreless innings. Williamson walked the leadoff hitter, Chris Clapinski, then allowed a home run to Mark Kotsay. That put the Reds in an immediate 2-0 hole.

        It became a 4-0 hole after Williamson walked the first two batters of the second and both scored.

        Williamson then settled down and retired nine in a row.

        But the wheels came off in the fifth. Williamson faced five batters without retiring anyone.

        “I never got in a rhythm out there,” he said. “I got out of my game plan ... I'll have to look at the tape and see what went wrong.”

        Williamson is in no danger of losing his spot in the rotation.

        “His stuff is so good, you got to go with a guy like that,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. “It might take a year or two. I — or whoever is managing the club — is going to have to suffer through it.

        “But he's got a chance to be something special.”

        Williamson entered Sunday with a 2.36 ERA as a starter.

        IMPRESSIVE FISH: McKeon likes what he sees in the Florida Marlins.

        “When they made their trades they went for good young pitching,” he said. “You're starting to see that now. In the next year or two, they're going to be a team to reckoned with.”

        THAT AND THAT: Williamson's single in the second inning Sunday was his first career hit. Williamson had been 0-for-14.

        • The Reds have not homered in six straight games. That's a season high.

        • Ron Villone's appearance Sunday was his first since July 25. Villone came on to pitch the seventh. The Reds' other lefty in the bullpen, Dennys Reyes, hasn't pitched since July 25.

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