PITTSBURGH — Reliever Scott MacRae nearly went a month without allowing a run. Sunday, he allowed his first run since Aug. 10. He went a total of 17 1/3 innings without allowing a run — the longest scoreless streak by a Red this year.

        MacRae, a 26-year-old right-hander, wasn't even on the Reds' spring-training roster.

        He earned a promotion by compiling strong minor-league numbers. He went 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA at Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville.

        But the Reds' bad luck was his good fortune.

        “If we don't have all the injuries, we don't know about Scott MacRae,” Boone said.

        MacRae is another name on the Reds' long list of potential starters. He's gone back and forth between starting and relieving in the minors.

        “It's interesting that he's been a starter,” Boone said. “We'll probably go into spring training like we did with (Dennys) Reyes and (Scott) Williamson.”

        POKEY OUT: Pokey Reese was out of Sunday's starting lineup.

        “I wanted to give him a blow,” Boone said.

        Reese continues to struggle at the plate. Coming into Sunday, he was hitless in his last 10 at-bats. He is hitting .206 since May 30.

        There is a possibility that Reese's year-end batting average will be 30 points lower for the second straight year. He hit .285 in 1999, .255 last year and is hitting .226 this year.

        LOUISVILLE WINS: D.T. Cromer had two hits, including a home run in the fifth inning, and scored a run on Sunday as Louisville beat the Norfolk Tides 2-0 to win the first-round series of the International League playoffs.

Reds 5, Pirates 3 Reds' coaches in limbo Hamilton to get start MacRae finally gives up run Reds-Cubs Scouting Report Pirates worry about pitcher's injury Reds box, runs

Bengals 23, Patriots 17
Bengals-Patriots statistics
DAUGHERTY: Bengals take 'big step'
SULLIVAN: Narrow stop has big meaning
Kitna gets passing grade
Scott catches up after lost season
Defense welcomes Simmons
Bengals report card
Injured McNair may miss Bengals
Replacement refs get few complaints
Fans aflutter with optimism
UC aglow over Guidugli
PREP FOOTBALL COVERAGE
Bonds hits Nos. 61, 62, 63
Cawood Ledford laid to rest in Harlan

• Return to Reds front page...