By John Erardi and Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Saturday's game

Ryan Dempster's pitching line doesn't reflect it, but for four innings of the Reds' come-from-behind win over the Toronto Blue Jays Saturday, the right-hander threw as well as he has all season.

"I thought he was terrific," said Reds manager Bob Boone. "I may have let him go a little too long, but I was really pleased with the way he threw. If he throws like that, he's going to win a lot of games."

Dempster, making his first start after coming off the disabled list with an inflamed nerve in his neck, allowed seven runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

But after he gave up a two-run homer in the first to the Blue Jays' Carlos Delgado, he retired 11 in a row, striking out three along the way, before allowing five runs in the sixth, three on a two-out bases-loaded double by Mike Bordick.

"I thought he threw an unbelievable game," said Reds catcher Jason LaRue. "Other than the double to Bordick, that's the best I've seen his command. That's the best I've seen his slider. That's a big comeback for him."

MOUNDGATE: Two things are crystal clear about "Moundgate," the latest controversy at Great American Ball Park:

One: The mound meets Major League Baseball regulations.

Two: The mounds at many National League ballparks do not.

"We've played on almost every field so far, and every mound except this one has been awesome for us - well, except for Puerto Rico, which was pretty bad," Reds closer Scott Williamson said Saturday. "If this mound is the right height, then obviously it's too flat . . . Because it's not the mound we're pitching on everywhere else."

After a poor outing Friday night, Reds pitcher John Riedling lambasted the mound for being too low and not sloped enough. Williamson supported him on that, saying it definitely has a negative impact on sinkerball pitchers and makes it difficult to "get on top of" breaking balls.

While every pitcher who has pitched on the Great American mound agrees with Riedling's and Williamson's criticism of it, it doesn't make any difference.

Nothing's likely to change.

The Reds brass isn't going to go on record that they like the way the ball is flying out of Great American.

Doug Gallant, the Reds' groundskeeper, said he is not going to alter the mound unless somebody in the front office directs it.

"We're right on the rules," Gallant said. "I haven't been told anything (by the Reds brass), but if John Allen and Jim Bowden are thinking, 'We are a power-hitting team, an offensive team, not a defensive team - we just swept Atlanta here, killed the Cardinals here,' then why would you change it?"

The one thing that could be done is to raise home plate an inch or two and then raise the mound the same inch or two, Gallant said.

And it would all be legal. Williamson just hopes the Reds do something. "A taller mound would definitely help our pitchers," Williamson said.

THIS AND THAT: The Reds entered Saturday fourth in the majors with 88 home runs, behind only Texas (94), the Yankees (90) and Atlanta (89).

• Great American Ball Park leads the majors in homers with 98, ahead of Miller Park in Milwaukee (86) and The Ballpark in Arlington, Tex. (84).

• Reds pitcher Joey Hamilton was outrighted to Triple A Louisville after Friday night's game.