Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez gets the throw from catcher Todd Hundley for the tag as Jaun Encarnacion slides in on an attempted steal. DESKTOP WALLPAPER Click to load the full-size image, then right-click that to Set As Background. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        CHICAGO — Offensive woes are largely responsible for the Reds' eight-game losing streak. But the bullpen gets the blame for Monday's 6-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

        Right-hander Scott Williamson (2-2) took the defeat, giving up three runs in the seventh inning for the Reds' eighth blown save in 29 opportunities.

        Williamson took over for hard-luck starter Elmer Dessens. The Reds had just taken a 2-1 lead when Dessens was lifted for a pinch-hitter, even though Dessens had only thrown 76 pitches.

        “You've got to go for the runs there,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “And I have confidence in the bullpen. You want to throw fresh stuff at them. Elmer was only going one more inning. He wasn't going to go nine.”

        The critical pitch of the game was a belt-high fastball that Delino DeShields hit out for a two-run homer off Williamson.

        “My ego got the better of me,” Williamson said. “And it ended up hurting the team. I apologized to the team.”

        DeShields is a fastball hitter.

        “We were saying on the bench that he's going to cheat on a fastball,” Boone said.

        Williamson throws 95 mph. But major leaguers hit that when the location is bad. That pitch was really bad.

        “It was right down the middle,” Williamson said. “I

        tried to throw it past him.”

        The homer gave the Cubs a 4-2 lead. The Reds cut it to 4-3, but John Riedling followed Williamson and gave up two runs in the eighth.

        A change of venue didn't help. After losing seven straight at home, the Reds lost before a sellout crowd of 38,201 on a pleasant summer night at Wrigley Field.

        The loss put the Reds three games behind the St.Louis Cardinals, who were idle, in the National League Central Division. That's as far as the Reds have been behind all season.

        The Reds wasted another sterling start from Dessens, who went six innings and allowed one run on six hits. He struck out three and didn't walk a batter.

        Dessens has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his five June starts (a 2.08 ERA in June).

        The one run Dessens allowed came in the fourth when he escaped a bases-loaded, no-out situation.

        It looked like one run might be enough for Chicago starter Mark Prior, a 21-year-old rookie. Through five innings, the Reds managed one baserunner. That was Juan Encarnacion, who led off the second with a single and then was caught stealing.

        With the way the Reds have been hitting lately, if Prior was on, they figured to be in trouble.

        The Reds were hitting .186 and had scored 11 runs in their last seven games, an average of 1.6. The Reds' ERA over that same period is 5.00.

        That's how you go on an extended skid.

        But the Reds got it going in the sixth. Walker led off with a double down the left-field line that kicked up chalk when it hit. Jason LaRue walked. First baseman Fred McGriff threw to third on Dessens' sacrifice bunt and Walker beat the toss.

        Bases loaded, no outs.

        Barry Larkin got Walker home with a sacrifice fly to right. LaRue moved to third on the play, which proved key.

        Sean Casey grounded to second baseman DeShields, who flipped to shortstop Alex Gonzalez for one out. But Gonzalez's throw to first pulled McGriff off the bag. Casey was safe and LaRue scored the go-ahead run.

        Russell Branyan led off the seventh with a double, snapping an 0-for-17 skid, the longest by a Red this year. Aaron Boone then reached on a bunt single. The runners moved up when Walker also tried to bunt for a single. LaRue, however, struck out. That ended the night for Dessens and Prior.

        Dessens was lifted for pinch-hitter Wilton Guerrero, even though Dessens and Guerrero have the same number of RBI (three). The Cubs countered by bringing in left-handed reliever Jeff Fassero (2-5), who got Guerrero to bounce out to shortstop and end the inning.

        In the Cubs' half, Williamson walked Bill Mueller with one out. Pinch-hitter Roosevelt Brown then doubled to left-center, scoring Mueller with the tying run.

        “The walk was what killed me,” Williamson said. “I don't walk the guy and the double doesn't hurt.”

        Williamson then struck out Corey Patterson. But DeShields hit the first pitch he saw into the right-field bleachers for his third home run of the year. It was the first Williamson has allowed all year.

        Just like that, it was 4-2.

        Riedling gave up a pair of runs in the eighth. They ended up being the difference in the game because the Reds rallied in the ninth.

        Aaron Boone and Walker singled to start the inning. That made it first and third. LaRue struck out. That would have been a perfect spot for Ken Griffey Jr. to pinch hit. But his strained hamstring was too sore for him to appear.

        The Reds used Reggie Taylor instead. He nearly tied. He sent one to wall right in front of 400-foot mark in center.

        “That's a pitch I can hit out,” Taylor said. “But I hit it to the wrong place.”

        It got a run in to make it 6-4. But Larkin bounced out and the Reds' eighth straight loss was complete.

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