CHICAGO — Barry Larkin was out of the starting lineup Tuesday.

Jason LaRue and Danny Graves celebrate the end of the eight-game losing streak. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        “I don't know if it's a day off or a solid benching,” Larkin said. “Probably the latter.”

        It's good to see Larkin hasn't lost his sense of humor while he searches for his hitting stroke. Larkin, a .297 career hitter, is batting .231 this year.

        Every time he seems to get it going, he falls into a slump. Since having his team-high 13-game hitting streak snapped, Larkin is hitless in his last 16 at-bats, including flying out to center as a pinch-hitter Tuesday.

        “I'm so ticked off at myself, at the way things are going for the team,” he said. “Things will change. The question is when. The same group that is losing now is the group that was winning just by doing what we were expected to do.”

        Larkin, as a veteran, knows baseball can change quickly.

        “One gapper here, one break there and the skid is no longer a skid,” he said.

        Larkin doesn't think Ken Griffey Jr.'s injuries — Griffey is on the disabled list for the second time this season — have had an adverse effect on the team.

        “You want him to be in the lineup because of the things he's capable of,” Larkin said. “He needs to get healthy. That's the important thing. It's tough when you don't have your legs.”

        KEARNS, SORT OF: The plan is play Austin Kearns in right field, Juan Encarnacion in center and Adam Dunn in left every day while Griffey is out.

        “But we'll wait and see,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “I want to get (Russell) Branyan in there as much as possible, too.”

        Kearns played only one game at Triple-A Louisville. He was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. Kearns entered Tuesday's game as a pinch hitter and stayed in to play right field. He went 0-for-2.

        WHAT ABOUT LARSON: Kearns got the call-up over Brandon Larson because the Reds needed an outfielder.

        “Our best outfield is Dunn, Kearns and Encarnacion,” Reds general manager Jim Bowden. “We were in first place in April and May with that outfield.”

        That is not to say Larson won't be up soon.

        “He's a little banged up right now — his ankle and his knee,” Bowden said. “But ... we're still considering (bringing him up),” Bowden said.

        Larson, the Reds' No.1 pick in the 1997 draft, was hitting .340 with 20 home runs and 57 RBI at Louisville going into Tuesday.

        The Reds' decision on White, to be determined in the next few days, affects Larson. If the Reds put White on the DL, it clears a spot to call up Larson.

        SULLIVAN STRUGGLES: Scott Sullivan continues to struggle to regain his form. Sullivan worked a third of an inning Tuesday, allow ing two runs on three hits.

        Since getting hit on the arm by a Richie Sexson comebacker on May 13, Sullivan is 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA. He has given up runs in seven of 16 appearances. Sullivan was 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA before the injury.

        What has killed him is the home run. Chris Stynes' two-run shot off him Tuesday was the sixth he's allowed in his last 18 innings.

        He allowed 10 in 103 1/3 innings last year.

        O-FER ENDER: Adam Dunn ended a career-high 0-for-16 streak with a single Tuesday. The Reds still have three long O-fers alive: Larkin's 0-for-16, Juan Castro's 0-for-14 and Wilton Guerrero's 0-for-11.

Player shortage puts Griffey on DL Reds 5, Cubs 2 Reds box, runs Pineda doesn't impress Cubs Pineda's win won't clinch starting spot Reds Notebook: Slumping Larkin rests Mourning Cardinals lose fourth straight Bonds scraps with teammate Kent Dodgers 4, Rockies 0 Mariners 7, Athletics 1

NBA experts see Logan as 2nd-rounder
Yao X-factor of NBA draft
NBA Draft Order
Basketball star Derrek Dickey dies at 51
Taxpayers split Bengals' bills
UC roomies 1-2 in Met golf
Men's Met Golf Results
Men's Met Golf Schedule
Germany's hero suspended for final
Turkey no sitting duck for Brazil
World Cup Schedule
Coming up this week

• Return to Reds front page...