Enquirer staff

As the rotation turns

There is no secret to the key to the Reds' success - get pitching, win ballgames.

The Reds victory Saturday made them 22-5 in games in which they had a quality start - six innings with three or fewer runs allowed.

A look at Reds starters in their last 10 games:

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	Res.
Dempster	6 1/3	4	2	2	W
Graves	7	6	3	2	L
Anderson	5	15	11	11	L
Wilson	6	9	7	7	L
Haynes	6	8	1	1	W
Dempster	5	7	4	4	L
Anderson	7	5	5	4	L
Graves	5 2/3	8	3	3	L
Wilson	7	3	1	1	W
Haynes	5 2/3	10	4	4	L

Doggie Days

Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado entered Saturday with 88 RBI. That brings up the memory of similar performances by Reds first baseman Tony Perez and Reds outfielder George Foster.

Perez, known as the best clutch hitter on the Big Red Machine, had 90 RBI by the break in 1970. He finished the season hitting .317 with 40 homers and 129 RBI.

In 1977, Foster had reached the 90 RBI mark at the break, then finished with a .320 batting average, 52 homers and 149 RBI, the franchise single-season record.

The record for RBI at the break is 103, by Hank Greenberg, who had 103 in 1935. He finished with 170.

Remember him?

He was a prized shortstop prospect of the Reds, who now is up with the Devil Rays. He's Antonio Perez.

Perez, 23, was one of the players the Reds sent to Seattle for Ken Griffey Jr. Then he was traded to the Devil Rays with manager Lou Piniella, with outfielder Randy Winn going to Seattle.

Perez hit .278 with eight homers and 30 RBI at Double-A. He's 3-for-11 in the bigs, playing second base.

By the numbers

221: The Reds' club record for home runs in a season. The Reds are no longer on pace to break that mark.
.301: Opponents' batting average against Reds starters entering Saturday.
17: Home runs needed by Griffey to tie Lou Gehrig, who stands 20th all-time with 493. (Fred McGriff, on the disabled list, is 21st with 488).
3-11: The Reds' record on Saturdays.
12-12: The Reds' record in June.
11: Times the Reds have placed a player on the disabled list.

The week ahead

Monday, OFF
Tuesday, at Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday, at Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, at Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, vs. N.Y. Mets, 1:15 p.m.
Saturday, vs. N.Y. Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Sunday, vs. N.Y. Mets, 1:15 p.m.

The skinny: The Reds entered Saturday closer to the fifth-place Pirates than first place. The Mets games are the only three at home in the 22 games leading to the July 14 All-Star break.