Ruben Rivera takes a HR away from Quinton McCracken in the sixth inning. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        MINNEAPOLIS — As the season's traditional first half nears its end, Lance Davis will begin the second half in the Reds' starting rotation. But he won't stay there very long if he repeats Saturday night's transgressions.

        Enduring his second straight poor outing, Davis surrendered six runs and nine hits in three innings to the Minnesota Twins, who outlasted the Reds, 7-6.

        Davis looked especially helpless as Minnesota scored four runs in the third inning to erase Cincinnati's 4-1 lead. He has allowed 13 runs and 17 hits in 4 2/3 innings over his past two starts. The left-hander, whose ERA climbed to 9.30, could be following the path of fellow rookie Brian Reith, who was optioned to Double-A Chattanooga last Wednesday after his record fell to 0-7.

        Unfortunately for the Reds, no obvious replacements exist for Davis, who was making his fifth major-league start. Thus, when the Reds return from the All-Star break Thursday, he'll be their fifth starter, behind Chris Reitsma, Elmer Dessens, Jim Brower and Jose Acevedo. Manager Bob Boone announced that rotation after the last-place Reds (33-53) suffered their sixth loss in seven games.

Lance Davis gives up the ball to Bob Boone in the fourth. | ZOOM |

        “It's been a long time since I've been in a slump like this,” said Davis, who spent nearly 6 1/2 seasons in the minors before arriving from Triple-A Louisville last month.

        “I think I can pop out of this if I stay confident. Hopefully I'll pop out of it sooner than later, or I'll be back in Louisville or somewhere else.”

        Boone explained Davis, who relies on a sinkerball, is a “feel” pitcher who can't force his way out of adversity.

        “What he has to learn is actually to back off his pitches,” Boone said. “But your nature is to throw harder when you get in a jam.”

        The danger of leaving a developing pitcher in the majors to weather this kind of storm is a loss of confidence. But with Davis, Boone insisted persistence is the answer to his problems: “You just have to run him out there.”

        Davis endorsed that approach.

        “I'll take my lumps and keep pitching. That's all I can do,” said the 24-year-old, who pitched an eight-inning four-hitter at St. Louis on June 27 before his slump began. “If they give me the ball, I'll give it all I have.”

        Brower (4-6) took the loss despite pitching well.

        The former University of Minnesota star who lives in nearby Minnetonka set himself up nicely for his return to the rotation by yielding three hits in 4 1/3 innings in relief of Davis. Brower also allowed a run, which happened to decide this interleague affair as the AL Central-leading Twins recorded their second consecutive victory in their final at-bat.

        With the score tied, 6-6, Brower faltered to open the eighth as Denny Hocking doubled to right field and moved to third on Jacque Jones' sacrifice bunt. With left-handed pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski due up, Boone replaced Brower with left-hander Hector Mercado. But the percentages didn't matter as Pierzynski belted a sacrifice fly to deep right field.

        The Reds, who pulled even in the top of the eighth on Ruben Rivera's two-run home run, mounted a mild threat in the ninth inning against Twins closer LaTroy Hawkins. Ken Griffey Jr. singled to right field with one out. Though the ball reached the wall, Griffey's tender left hamstring prevented him from reaching scoring position. Wilton Guerrero pinch-ran for him.

        That mini-rally dissolved as Dmitri Young struck out and Guerrero, running on the full-count pitch, was thrown out at second base. That sealed Hawkins' 23rd save and Minnesota's 12th victory in 14 games.

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