Danny Graves reacts to J. D. Drew's two-run homer in the eighth inning to give the Cardinals a 10-8 lead. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Reds manager Bob Boone made his decision. The count to J.D. Drew was one ball, no strikes. Fernando Vina was on second base. If reliever Danny Graves threw another ball, Boone would have Drew intentionally walked.

        Instead, Graves threw a sinker that didn't sink. Drew knocked it over the center-field fence for a two-run homer that capped St. Louis' rally from an eight-run deficit to win 10-8 Sunday at Cinergy Field.

        “In retrospect, I'd certainly like to walk him,” Boone said. “I was just trusting Gravy to know you've got a base open . . . and it gives you a lot of leeway to make a pitch on somebody.”

        After erupting for eight runs on seven hits in the first two innings, Cincinnati had just two more hits the rest of the day.

        Six St. Louis relief pitchers combined to give up four hits and one intentional walk. They retired 14 of the last 15 Reds.

Reggie Taylor is patted on the helmet by Adam Dunn and congratulated by Jason LaRue after his first-inning grand slam gave the Reds a 6-0 lead. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        “This is the worst kind of loss you can have,” Adam Dunn said. “But I think it's magnified a lot because of who we're playing.”

        The Reds last blew an 8-0 lead Sept. 4, 1989 against the Giants when they lost 9-8. It was the Cardinals' biggest comeback since May 9, 1992, when they rallied from a 9-0 deficit to beat Atlanta 12-11.

        With Cincinnati clinging to an 8-5 lead, Graves relieved Gabe White with two out and two runners on base in the eighth. Graves then allowed Placido Polanco a double down the left-field line. Vina followed with a double down the right-field line that took a bad hop off first baseman Dunn's glove.

        “It was right to him,” Graves said. “He was waiting for it. It jumped over him, and to get over him, it's got to be a nasty hop. That's why this game . . . is so screwed up. If I'm going good, it takes that nasty hop and he somehow gets it.”

        That set up Drew's at-bat.

        “That's really the first time J.D.'s got me pretty good,” Graves said. “Any loss is hard. But this definitely is a tough one to swallow. We've got to turn the page and go get 'em in Milwaukee.”

    The Reds finished their homestand 4-2 and now take to the road for 14 of their next 17 games, including eight in eight days against the same two teams they just played (four at Milwaukee, then four at St. Louis).

Barry Larkin makes a difficult stop and throw to nail J. D. Drew in the first inning. Larkin was taken out in the second inning with the Reds ahead 8-0. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

            Cincinnati will try to break a four-game road losing streak.

        “It's going to show a lot about our club as to how we rebound — if we come out still thinking about (Sunday) or we come out and forget it, which I think we'll do,” Dunn said. “I think we relaxed a little bit (Sunday). Which is real easy to do when you jump out to a big lead.”

        The Reds sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning against St. Louis starter Travis Smith.

        Barry Larkin's one-out single to center field got the offense rolling. Juan Encarnacion walked, Austin Kearns struck out swinging, then Dunn walked to load the bases.

        Aaron Boone was hit by a pitch — the league-leading 21st time for the Reds — scoring Larkin. Jason LaRue hit a ground ball deep in the hole to shortstop Edgar Renteria, who had no play to make. Encarnacion scored.

        In the second inning, Larkin led off with a double to left field. Encarnacion then grounded a ball into left field for a single. That was it for Smith, who gave up eight runs on three walks and five hits in one official inning.

Aaron Boone is chased by 2B Fernando Vina during a run down in the fifth inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Up came Reggie Taylor, who was making just his seventh start. He ripped a 1-2 pitch 403 feet to right-center off the facing of the green seats for his first career grand slam and second home run in four games. That made it 6-0.

        Luther Hackman came in to pitch and got Kearns to hit a weak grounder back to him. Dunn was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out and Boone up. Boone hit a slow grounder in the hole to second baseman Vina, whose throw to first base was too late. Boone's second RBI of the game made it 7-0.

        LaRue hit a sharp single to left to score Encarnacion for an 8-0 lead.

        Reds starter Elmer Dessens started out splendidly, allowing just two hits over the first four innings. But he gave up eight hits and hit a batter in the fifth and sixth innings combined as St. Louis rallied to within 8-5.

        He was pulled with runners on first and second and nobody out in the sixth.

        “He looked real sharp and then he really lost a lot of stuff,” Boone said.

        White got the Reds out of that jam, and they seemed in good shape until St. Louis scored five runs in the eighth.

        “The Cardinals are a very professional team,” Larkin said. “You know they're not going to give up. They just got to our pitching. You could see the momentum shifting early in the game with Elmer still on the mound. They just kept coming and coming and coming and coming. You've got to tip your hat to those guys.”

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