By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Monday's game

HOUSTON - Ryan Dempster was not happy when the Reds decided to go with the four-man rotation. We may have found out why on Monday.

Dempster's second start in the four-man set-up was as bad as his first: Awful.

He gave up six runs in four innings in the Reds' 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros before 25,339 at Minute Maid Park.

The Reds have lost five in a row, equaling a season-high, and 12 of 16. They are seven games under .500 (40-47).

The Reds made one error and could have easily been charged with three. They had runners thrown out at second and third.

"That's the way it's going lately," shortstop Barry Larkin said. "We're finding different ways to lose."

Dempster was again a puzzling mix of good and bad. He struck out five and looked overpowering at times. The Reds defense let him down in the four-run third, but his trouble started when he walked the pitcher.

"You're not supposed to get punished that bad for walking the pitcher," Reds manager Bob Boone said.

Boone disputed that Dempster is unhappy with the four-man rotation.

"That's a lie," Boone said.

But when the four-man set-up was announced, Dempster said: "I'll pitch whenever they ask me to . . . I guess you can tell by my answers what I think."

And what did Dempster say Monday? Nothing. He walked out of the clubhouse five minutes after the game ended without a word.

Dempster is 0-2 with a 14.62 ERA since the four-man rotation was announced, although Monday was the first time he pitched on three days' rest.

Astros starter Roy Oswalt, making his first start back from the disabled list (strained groin), and relievers Ricky Stone and Billy Wagner shut down the Reds on four hits. Oswalt went six innings, allowing one run on three hits. Stone pitched two innings of one-hit ball. Wagner finished it with a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Reds got only two hits and did not advance a runner past first after the second.

It was a much different tale from the last time Dempster and Oswalt met, on April 8, when Dempster went nine innings and won 2-1.

The Reds have seen glimpses of that Dempster since, but never consistently. He is 2-6 with a 6.95 ERA.

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the first, when Aaron Boone brought Adam Dunn home with a single. But Jose Guillen was thrown out trying to go to third, ending the Reds' last threat of the night.

Dempster looked good early, until he walked Oswalt and Craig Biggio with one out in the third.

Geoff Blum then hit a hard shot at Casey at first. Casey fumbled the ball and had no play. That loaded the bases. Jeff Bagwell followed with a roller toward third that Boone charged but couldn't come up with, and Oswalt scored.

After Dempster came back from 3-1 to strike out Lance Berkman, he worked Richard Hidalgo to a full count as well. But Hidalgo didn't miss at 3-2. He lashed one off the wall in left-center. Ken Griffey Jr.'s relay went past Larkin and second baseman Ray Olmedo. The three-run double made it 4-1.

"Every infielder had (a misplay in the inning), we screw up the relay or we've got a chance at Bagwell," Boone said. "We don't swing the bats - at all. That's not a good mix when you're trying to win a ballgame."

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Dunn lf	4	1	1	0	0	0	.215
Larkin ss	4	0	0	0	0	0	.273
Griffey Jr. cf	4	0	0	0	0	0	.238
JGuillen rf	3	0	0	0	0	2	.345
ABoone 3b	3	0	2	1	0	1	.271
Casey 1b	3	0	0	0	0	1	.297
Van Poppel p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Stinnett c	3	0	0	0	0	1	.266
Olmedo 2b	2	0	0	0	1	1	.306
Dempster p	1	0	0	0	0	0	.040
Taylor ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.213
Riedling p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Branyan 1b	1	0	1	0	0	0	.275
Totals	29	1	4	1	1	7

Houston	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Biggio cf	4	1	1	0	1	0	.265
Blum 2b	5	1	3	0	0	0	.279
Bagwell 1b	4	1	1	1	0	1	.266
Berkman lf	4	0	1	0	0	1	.273
Hidalgo rf	4	0	1	3	0	0	.311
Ensberg 3b	4	1	2	1	0	1	.303
Ausmus c	3	1	1	0	1	0	.207
Bruntlett ss	4	1	1	2	0	2	.200
Oswalt p	1	1	0	0	1	1	.231
Matranga ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.333
Stone p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Merced ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.252
Wagner p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	35	7	11	7	3	6

Cincinnati	100	000	000	-1	4	1
Houston	004	200	10x	-7	11	0

E-Griffey Jr. (1). LOB-Cincinnati 3, Houston 7. 2B-Hidalgo (22), Ensberg (7). HR-Ensberg (16), off Van Poppel; Bruntlett (1), off Dempster. RBIs-ABoone (52), Bagwell (42), Hidalgo 3 (43), Ensberg (40), Bruntlett 2 (2).

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Dempster L, 2-6	4	7	6	6	2	5	85	6.95
Riedling	2	2	0	0	1	1	40	6.17
Van Poppel	2	2	1	1	0	0	18	8.31

Houston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Oswalt W, 5-4	6	3	1	1	1	3	74	2.94
Stone	2	1	0	0	0	3	22	3.73
Wagner	1	0	0	0	0	1	13	2.42

HBP-by Oswalt (JGuillen). T-2:16. A-25,339 (40,950)

How the runs scored in Monday's game between the Reds and the Astros

Reds first. Dunn infield single to second. Larkin flied out to center fielder Biggio. Griffey Jr. popped out to first baseman Bagwell. Guillen was hit by a pitch, Dunn to second. Boone singled to center, Dunn scored, Guillen to second. Guillen was out advancing, center fielder Biggio to third baseman Ensberg, Guillen out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Reds 1, Astros 0.

Astros third. Bruntlett struck out. Oswalt walked on four pitches. Biggio walked on a full count, Oswalt to second. Blum infield single to first, Oswalt to third, Biggio to second. Bagwell infield single to third, Oswalt scored, Biggio to third, Blum to second. Berkman struck out. Hidalgo doubled to left, Biggio scored, Blum scored, Bagwell scored. On Griffey Jr.'s error, Hidalgo to third. Ensberg struck out. 4 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 1 left on. Astros 4, Reds 1.

Astros fourth. Ausmus singled to left. Bruntlett homered to left on the first pitch, Ausmus scored. Oswalt struck out. Biggio flied out to center fielder Griffey Jr.. Blum infield single to second. Bagwell struck out. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Astros 6, Reds 1.

Astros seventh. Van Poppel pitching. Branyan in as first baseman. Berkman flied out to left fielder Dunn. Hidalgo flied out to center fielder Griffey Jr.. Ensberg homered to left on a 0-1 count. Ausmus grounded out, pitcher Van Poppel to first baseman Branyan. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Astros 7, Reds 1.