Elmer Dessens (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        By one statistical standard, Elmer Dessens is officially the most hard-luck starting pitcher in baseball. Dessens was the victim of some extraordinarily bad luck Wednesday in the Reds' 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

        All four runs were unearned thanks to Gookie Dawkins' error in the seventh, which, by the way, broke up Dessens' perfect game.

        The loss put Dessens' record at 7-8 and his ERA at 2.93 this season. No major-league starter has a lower ERA and a losing record.

        Since July 21 — his last win — Dessens has given up one earned run in two games and no earned runs in one game. He has two no-decisions and a loss to show for it.

        Dessens has given up two or fewer earned runs in 19 starts this year.

        Wednesday's loss was the toughest to take.

        “He pitched great, just great,” Reds manager Bob Boone said.

Aaron Boone is safe at third on a triple. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        Dessens was perfect through 6 1/3 innings. Of the 19 straight batters he retired, all but two were out on strikeouts or routine plays.

        The 20th hitter for Pittsburgh, Jack Wilson, hit another routine ball — a grounder right at shortstop Dawkins.

        Dawkins threw it into the dugout.

        “I knew it as soon as I let it go,” Dawkins said. “No excuses. I've got to make that play.”

        Dessens still had the no-hitter working, but the game had changed. He got Pittsburgh's best hitter, Brian Giles, to fly out to center, bringing up Aramis Ramirez.

        Dessens wasn't thinking no-hitter.

        “It was a 1-0 game,” Dessens said. “I tried to stay with my plan. We had the base open.”

        Dessens was pitching Ramirez carefully. Catcher Kelly Stinnett called for a slider with the count 3-2.

        “His slider had been outstanding all day,” Stinnett said, “until the one to Ramirez.”

        Dessens hung it.

        “It was a big mistake,” Dessens said.

        Ramirez hit it out to left for his 15th home run of the year. In one swing, the no-hitter, the shutout and the lead were gone.

        Another bit of bad luck cost the Reds when Rob Mackowiak's slow roller — another routine play — hit the first base bag and bounded away from first baseman Russell Branyan. Craig Wilson followed with another two-run homer.

        Dessens went seven innings, allowing the four unearned runs on three hits. He struck out six and walked none.

        The sum total of the Reds' offense came in the first inning. Aaron Boone doubled and went to third. Todd Walker followed with a double to get him in.

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