CHICAGO — Robert John Burck II didn't realize how lucky he was.

        A Wrigley Field security guard peacefully removed Burck, an entertainer known to many Cincinnatians as the Naked Cowboy, from a seat behind home plate in Wednesday's second inning. Burck wore only a plastic red cowboy hat and pink briefs with “REDS” scrawled on the, er, back and “C” on the sides.

        The ejected Burck didn't have to watch his favorite team's latest defeat, a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Reds' fortunes remained as threadbare as Burck's wardrobe after their 16th loss in 20 games dropped them seven games below .500 (19-26) for the first time since the end of the 1998 season (77-85).

        This was a one-run game until the Cubs added an unearned run (of course) in the eighth inning. But rarely has such a minimal margin seemed so huge. Cincinnati remained helpless at the plate, totaling five hits and scoring only on Ruben Rivera's two-run homer in the second inning.

        Here's all you need to know about the Reds' offense in May: Their batters have amassed more strikeouts (157) than hits (155).

        “We didn't hit enough to win. That's turned into a bad theme,” manager Bob Boone said.

        Of course, injuries have decimated the Reds. Otherwise, Wednesday's starting

        infield wouldn't have consisted of second baseman Juan Castro, shortstop Donnie Sadler and third baseman Bill Selby. And manager Bob Boone wouldn't have felt compelled in the seventh inning to use Brandon Larson, batting .067, to pinch hit for Deion Sanders, hitting .171 at the time.

        Cincinnati's infield looked a tad more representative before the game until Pokey Reese, slated to play shortstop, was scratched with discomfort in his right thumb and forefinger.

        “What's new? I hate turning in lineup cards every day with white-out on them,” Boone said.

        Then again, Reese technically was replaced by Rivera, since Sadler was originally due to play center field. So in a way, Reese's injury actually helped the Reds by getting the slugging Rivera off the bench. “Thank God — we might not have scored,” Boone said.

        But ultimately, one shortcoming begets another. The scoring-challenged Reds have had to try to manufac ture runs. This time, Cincinnati's desperation led to its most embarrassing moment of the afternoon, as Sanders and Sadler collaborated on a botched double-steal attempt in the first inning.

        With one out, Sanders darted from second base, then stopped dead in his tracks and tried to return to the bag. Sadler kept sprinting toward second, forcing Sanders to sacrifice himself in a rundown so his teammate could at least reach second base. It killed the mild rally, which officially ended as Jason Bere made Alex Ochoa the first of 11 Reds strikeout victims.

        As Boone explained, Sadler was “reading” Sanders' movement. Sanders' dash was meant to prompt Sadler's break. Unfortunately for Sadler, he didn't know Sanders would change his mind.

        “You've got one out; you don't take third unless you know you're going to make it — unless you're comfortable,” Sanders said. “And I didn't feel comfortable. But that's a tough play for (Sadler), because he's watching me.”

        This served as another example of Sanders' struggles (from a negative view) or education (from a hopeful standpoint).

        “For me, that's one of the reasons Deion has to play some,” Boone said. “We keep wondering about his bat. I think the other instinctual parts are probably the toughest things that (Sanders has tried to regain) from the (four-year) layoff.”

        Rain delayed the game's start for one hour, 15 minutes and again halted play for one hour, 33 minutes in the top of the third inning. That alone made the afternoon forgettable, though the Reds found posterity as Rob Bell allowed Julio Zuleta's second-inning homer. It marked the 13th game in a row that Cincinnati pitchers had yielded a homer, tying a franchise record established June 29-July 10, 1955.

        Sanders tried to offset the weather and the Reds' gloom with a sunny attitude.

        “When it goes like this, usually there's a tremendous upside,” he said. “Because it can't last.”

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