By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

D'Angelo Jimenez belted a solo home run in the fifth inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

CHICAGO - When you start listing the shortcomings of this current Reds team, you come up with a long list. Right now, the problem is starting pitching.

That was never clearer than in the Reds' 9-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs Saturday before a standing room-only crowd of 39,983 at Wrigley Field.

A reliever, Matt Belisle, took the loss for the second straight day. But because of the shaky starting pitching, the bullpen is severely overworked.

"We've got to get more out of the starters," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "We're getting beat up down there in the bullpen."

John Bale started and lasted only four innings. His early exit came one day after Seth Etherton lasted just two innings. The Reds have gone 20 straight games without the starting pitcher pitching into the seventh inning.

Paul Wilson, on the shelf for the year, was the last pitcher to go seven innings in a 3-1 win against Houston Aug. 23.

All those innings are catching up with a rookie bullpen.

Saturday's game was a lot like Friday's: The Reds fell behind early, came back to take the lead, only to have the bullpen blow it.

Bale gave up four runs in the second inning. He had a 2.76 ERA in his first five starts, but that number has ballooned to 9.00 in his last three.

The Reds scored a run in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, and run-scoring singles by Ray Olmedo and Tim Hummel in the sixth gave the Reds a 6-5 lead.

The Reds' bullpen, which consists of five rookies, was charged with protecting a one-run lead at Wrigley with the Cubs playing for a playoff spot.

"It's tough in this atmosphere," catcher Corky Miller said. "The Cubs have one of the best lineups in the league. They've got guys from one to nine who can do things. They didn't hit it out of the ballpark today, and they scored nine runs."

The bullpen blew up for four runs in the seventh. Belisle pitched a 1-2-3 sixth but allowed three hits to start the seventh.

"I felt good," Belisle said. "I was excited about the situation. But I got behind (in the count). You're going to get hit when you do that."

Scott Randall, in his fifth appearance in seven games, retired only one of the five batters he faced.

The 6-5 lead was a 9-6 deficit by the time Phil Norton retired the Cubs.

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Olmedo ss	5	0	2	2	0	0	.260
Hummel 3b	5	1	2	1	0	0	.203
DJimenez 2b	5	1	2	1	0	1	.305
Casey 1b	5	0	1	1	0	0	.289
Branyan lf	4	1	1	0	1	2	.233
RMateo rf	4	0	1	0	0	0	.254
Randall p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Pnorton p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
WPena cf	4	1	1	0	0	0	.214
CMiller c	3	2	2	1	0	0	.333
Bale p	2	0	1	0	0	1	.125
Cerros p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
a-Valent ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.241
Belisle p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Stenson rf	1	0	0	0	0	1	.269
Totals	39	6	13	6	1	6

Chicago	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Glanville cf	2	0	1	0	1	0	.214
Farnsworth p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
c-REMartinez ph	0	0	0	0	1	0	.291
1-Kelton pr	0	0	0	0	0	0	.182
Borowski p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Grudzielanek 2b	5	1	3	2	0	1	.310
SSosa rf	5	1	2	0	0	0	.290
Alou lf	4	2	1	0	1	0	.288
ARamirez 3b	5	1	2	1	0	0	.269
Karros 1b	4	1	2	4	0	0	.290
ASGonzalez ss	2	1	1	1	2	0	.224
DMiller c	4	0	0	0	0	3	.234
JuCruz p	2	1	1	0	0	1	.200
Guthrie p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Alfonseca p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
b-Lofton ph-cf	2	1	1	0	0	0	.291
Totals	35	9	14	8	5	5

Cincinnati	011	112	000	-6	13	1
Chicago	040	010	40x	-9	14	1

a-struck out for Cerros in the 6th. b-doubled for Alfonseca in the 7th. c-walked for Farnsworth in the 8th.

1-ran for Martinez in the 8th.

E-Hummel (2), ARamirez (29). LOB-Cincinnati 8, Chicago 8. 2B-Hummel (4), Alou (34), Karros 2 (16), ASGonzalez (35), Lofton (31). 3B-JuCruz (1). HR-DJimenez (7), off JuCruz. RBIs-Olmedo 2 (14), Hummel (8), DJimenez (26), Casey (71), CMiller (1), Grudzielanek 2 (29), ARamirez (95), Karros 4 (37), ASGonzalez (55). SB-ASGonzalez (2). S-Glanville. SF-CMiller. GIDP-RMateo, SSosa.

Runners left in scoring position-Cincinnati 2 (Hummel, Casey); Chicago 4 (ARamirez 2, Lofton 2).

Runners moved up-WPena.

DP-Cincinnati 1 (Olmedo, DJimenez and Casey); Chicago 1 (ARamirez, Grudzielanek and Karros).

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Bale	4	8	5	4	2	2	76	4.67
Cerros	1	0	0	0	0	0	8	7.36
Belisle L, 1-1, BS, 1	1 1/3	3	3	3	0	1	19	8.31
Randall	1/3	2	1	1	2	1	19	6.23
PNorton	1 1/3	1	0	0	1	1	28	3.97

Chicago	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
JuCruz	5	10	6	6	1	3	99	5.56
Guthrie BS, 1	1	3	0	0	0	1	21	2.56
Alfonseca W, 3-1	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	5.34
Farnsworth H, 17	1	0	0	0	0	1	15	3.47
Borowski S, 28	1	0	0	0	0	1	17	2.81

Bale pitched to 3 batters in the 5th, JuCruz pitched to 2 batters in the 6th, Guthrie pitched to 1 batter in the 7th.

Inherited runners-scored-Randall 2-2, PNorton 3-0, Cerros 2-0, Guthrie 2-2, Alfonseca 1-0.

IBB-off Randall (ASGonzalez) 1. WP-Guthrie.

T-3:11. A-39,983 (39,241).