Onlookers may insert their favorite snide remark about the Reds' season here. It could be said that a lot more than the Survivor television series ended Wednesday night. Or one could surmise that though the Reds may encounter Hurricane Debby during this weekend's series at Florida, they already appear to be waterlogged.

Benito Santiago salutes the crowd after his single in the seventh inning drove in two runs. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        The Reds, however, can neither joke about nor explain their plummeting fortunes, which continued sliding with a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies before 20,255 at Cinergy Field, the second-smallest home crowd of the season.

        The Central Division gap between Cincinnati and first-place St. Louis widened to 8 1/2 games as the Reds (61-64) lost their second game in a row, their seventh in their last nine and 11th in 15 home games.

        “It's old,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. “You have to keep plugging away, hope you get a break and turn things around.”

        After pinch hitter Benito Santiago lifted the Reds with a two-run single in the seventh inning that broke a 1-1 tie, Philadelphia forged ahead with three runs in the eighth against the usually reliable relief pair of Scott Sullivan and Danny Graves (10-4).

        “One inning we think we're right on top of things. All of a sudden, the next inning, everything hits the fan,” Graves said. “It really is frustrating. I don't have any answers.”

        What confounded the Reds most was Marlon Anderson's RBI groundball single, which zipped through Graves' legs and eluded shortstop Barry Larkin, who grazed the ball with his glove as he dove for it behind second base. It followed Mike Lieberthal's one-out homer and Travis Lee's single off Sullivan and Graves' walk to Rob Ducey. It also preceded Tomas Perez's run-scoring fielder's-choice grounder.

Dmitri Young is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on Benito Santiago's single in the seventh. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        “The gods of baseball are against us or something,” said Scott Williamson, the converted reliever who allowed just one run and four hits while recording his third consecutive seven-inning effort. “How does that ball get through the infield?”

        Graves was equally nonplussed, though he was also disgusted with himself.

        “If I can field a ground ball, we'd be all right,” he said. “I thought I had it. I was down on both knees and I thought my glove was down. I really can't explain it. He (Anderson) did exactly what I wanted him to do — hit it back to me. That's an easy way to turn (a double play). But somehow it snuck under my glove. It's not the first time it's happened.”

        Though Sullivan (82 1/3 innings) and Graves (79 1/3 innings) rank first and second, respectively, among relievers in either league in innings pitched, McKeon disagreed with the suggestion that they have grown fatigued. Sullivan had posted a 1.02 ERA in his previous 12 appearances; Graves, pointed out McKeon, got the ground ball he sought.

        “They've done the job all year long,” McKeon said.

        Williamson also defended his former bullpen mates: “That's the two guys I want in there when I pitch. Ninety-nine percent of the time they'll get the job done. I'll take that percentage any day.”

        Meanwhile, the Reds' offense remained stagnant. They mustered five hits, did all their scoring in the third and seventh innings after two were out with nobody on base and needed walks in both instances to prolong their rallies.

        Phillies starter Robert Person faced only three batters over the minimum through six innings.
       

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