Dmitri Young collides with Cubs SS Ricky Gutierrez at second base. (Brandi Stafford photos) | ZOOM |

        Bob Boone nearly had to reach for the manager's equivalent of the white flag Tuesday night, reflecting the depths the Reds have reached.

        Pondering the state of his bullpen, which has been taxed by Monday's 13-inning game and a spate of rainouts that caused starters to depart early, Boone said “I was really close to having to use a position player” if the Reds needed another reliever.

        Boone was spared that desperation, but he and the Reds couldn't avoid the record they tied with their 10-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

        The Reds' seventh defeat in their last eight games dropped them to 6-21 in May. That matched the franchise record established by the 1931 Reds, who were 8-21. Cincinnati (20-31 overall) fell 10 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the National League Central.

        Not only did the Reds dip 11 games below .500 for the first time since Sept.24, 1998, (74-85), their winning percentage also dropped below .400, at .392. If .500 is the baseline for mediocrity, .400 is the ceiling for helplessness The Reds are on pace to finish 64-98.

Ruben Rivera can't reach Matt Stairs' double. | ZOOM |

        Asked if it was possible to describe the team's frustration, reliever Scott Sullivan said: “I don't have the vocabulary to do it. The last couple of weeks have been like a broken record. We're just struggling for air. Every time we get our head above water, something happens or we get bad news.”

        Those gloomy developments continued. First baseman Sean Casey missed the game with a sore lower back, though he could rejoin the lineup today; left-hander Dennys Reyes left the game with tightness in his forearm; third baseman Brandon Larson somehow roped a pinch-hit double despite suffering from flu-like symptoms and swollen tonsils.

        None of them has joined the seven Reds on the disabled list — yet.

        Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek said Larson will see an ear-nose-throat specialist today. Larson, 25, said he has been taking antibiotics for two days to combat the illness.

Deion Sanders, running to first on a double, was 2-for-5. He's at .189. | ZOOM |

        “We have a couple of people healthy for a couple of days, then somebody goes down. It's a tough situation to be in,” outfielder Michael Tucker said. “It seems like we have a revolving door in that training room. But there are a lot of things you can't do much about. So you just play hard every day.”

        The Reds led 3-2 until Chicago scored seven runs off Osvaldo Fernandez (5-4) in the fourth inning. Sammy Sosa's bases-loaded, three-run double and Rondell White's three-run homer accounted for most of the scoring.

        But Fernandez doomed himself by walking four Cubs that inning.

        “He struggled with his location all night — a night we needed him to pitch well,” said Boone, referring to the overworked bullpen. “It's disappointing.”

Cubs 10, Reds 5 Bowden says Griffey was misdiagnosed Casey, Reyes hurting Oester glad to see Perez back on field Cubs keep winning without Sosa homers Reds box, runs

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