Cubs C Joe Girardi can't reach a pop-up single by Aaron Boone in the second inning. (Yuli Wu photo) | ZOOM |

        When you're building for the future, the present isn't always pleasant. But if you can see progress — even baby-step progress — all is not gloom and doom. That was the case with the Reds Sunday.

        They lost 2-1 to the Chicago Cubs before a crowd of 28,033 at Cinergy Field. They got beat for the third time this year by Cubs ace Jon Lieber (10-4). But there was nary a hanging head in the clubhouse afterward.

        That's because Chris Reitsma (4-7) matched Lieber, who is a good bet for the All-Star game, pitch for pitch.

        “It was a great pitching duel,” Ken Griffey Jr. said. “Neither of them would give in.”

        Reitsma's performance — six innings, seven hits, two runs — on the heels of the first career wins by Lance Davis and Jose Acevedo was a reason for optimism.

Todd Dunwoody scores from second past Jason LaRue on Girardi's single in the fifth inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        “We're seeing them get better and better,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “That was a pretty good go-round in the rotation.”

        The Reds are 7-4 since June 20, which isn't going to get them back in the pennant race. But it's progress for a team with four rookies in the starting rotation.

        “It won't be too long that we'll be sitting here with one of the best staffs in baseball,” Reitsma said. “We believe that. People expected us to get killed with four rookies in the rotation. But we don't think that way.”

        Reitsma, the 23-year-old right-hander obtained in the Dante Bichette deal with Boston, has been the best of the four rookies. Sunday was his 17th start. He's given up three or fewer earned runs in 10 of them. He's gotten blown out once.

        Sunday, he could have easily won if the Reds had been able to muster any offense against Lieber.

Scott Sullivan pitches in the sixth inning. (Yuli Wu photo) | ZOOM |

        They got leadoff hits in the first and second but couldn't get the runners past second.

        The big chance came in the fourth. Aaron Boone led off with a double. Bill Selby followed with a double to make it 1-0.

        It was the first earned run the Reds scored off Lieber in 21 innings this year.

        After Jason LaRue struck out, Juan Castro was intentionally walked. Shortstop Ricky Gutierrez booted Reitsma's grounder for an error to load the bases. But Alex Ochoa grounded out.

        The Cubs came back with two runs in the fourth. Todd Dunwoody started the inning with a double. Joe Girardi got him home with a single. An out later, Miguel Cairo broke the tie with an RBI double.

        “Chris got a couple of balls up,” manager Boone said. “That's the difference in the game. That's something for him to learn from. If you want to win 20 games, that's how you do it.”

        The Reds would get some more chances against Lieber. The Cubs made two more errors.

        “But we couldn't take advantage of them because of the pitcher,” Boone said. “Lieber threw a great game. He doesn't give you anything to hit. You never get a pitch to lay into.”

        Lieber left with two outs in the sixth, his shortest outing since May 7. But three relievers — Jeff Fassero, Kyle Farnsworth and Flash Gordon — permitted two base runners over the last 3 1/3 innings.

        “That's the kind of day it was,” Boone said. “We weren't up there against chopped liver, though. Flash is one of the best. Farnsworth is out there throwing 100 miles an hour.

        “That's why the Cubs are where they are.”

        Which is in first place in the National League Central. The Reds are in fifth place, 15 games back.

        So the standings and games behind weren't affected by the four-game series. But a split at home and another good start by a rookie left the Reds feeling a little better about themselves when the series ended.

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