By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CHICAGO - The Reds went 11 games into the season without getting blown out of a game.

And what about game 12? They were blown out like a hot dog wrapper in a Wrigley gust.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos from Monday's game

Rookie Ryan Wagner's seventh-inning blowup - 14 pitches, six hits, one walk, five runs, no batters retired - led to an 8-1 defeat of the Reds by the Chicago Cubs before a crowd of 39,057 at Wrigley Field on Monday afternoon.

"It happened quick," said Reds manager Dave Miley.

Wagner, who typically sets up his slider with a fastball, never got a chance to set up anyone because his fastball was right in the hitting zone.

"Every one of them," Wagner said. "They were strikes, but they hit them."

The Reds finished the road trip 3-3 against Philadelphia and Chicago - two teams picked by many to win their divisions.

The blowout followed three terrific one-run games. The series drew 159,461 - a Wrigley record for a four-game series.

Road trip

The Reds went 3-3 on their recent road trip: Date Where Result April 12 at Philadelphia W 4-1 April 15 at Philadelphia L 6-4 April 16 at Chicago L 11-10 April 17 at Chicago W 3-2 Sunday at Chicago W 11-10 Monday at Chicago L 8-1

"It was a lot of fun - until the seventh (Monday)," Miley said. "Both teams battled each other."

For 61/2 innings, Monday's game followed the script of Saturday's 3-2 Reds' victory.

When Wagner entered in the seventh, the Cubs were up 3-1. Wagner, the 21-year-old right-hander, had pretty much nothing but success last year and in spring training this year. His combined ERA over that period was 1.23 in 36 1/3 innings.

Things haven't been so smooth this season.

Wagner gave up a three-run homer to Philadelphia's Mike Lieberthal and was the losing pitcher in the Reds' 6-4 loss Thursday.

He pitched a perfect inning Saturday and earned the win.

Monday's outing started innocently enough. Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou grounded singles into left field, both on first pitches.

Wagner then walked Aramis Ramirez on five pitches to load the bases.

That brought up Derrek Lee, who was 2-for-16 in the series.

"You know he's going to hit," Miley said. "We were talking about it before the game."

Lee hit the first pitch he saw from Wagner the opposite way to right. It just got out for a grand slam.

Eight pitches, four runs and, in an instant, a 3-1 game was a 7-1 game.

Wagner gave up three more hits before exiting.

In 4 1/3 innings, he's allowed 13 hits, seven earned runs and two home runs, for a 14.54 ERA.

"The only thing different was everything has been belt high," Miley said. "That's going to happen - not only to Ryan Wagner but to the best in the game. He'll learn from it."

The Reds' offense didn't leave a lot of margin for error. They scored a run on two hits in the first and then had two hits the rest of the way.

Matt Clement, the Cubs' starter, retired 17 of 19 during one stretch.

"Clement was tough," Miley said. "He had good stuff today."

The Reds nearly broke the game open. D'Angelo Jimenez led off with a walk. He was doubled off first after he kept running on Barry Larkin's flyout to right on a hit-and-run.

Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a double, so Jimenez's running blunder cost the Reds a run. After Sean Casey walked, Adam Dunn singled in a run.

Austin Kearns followed with a walk to load the bases. But Jason LaRue was called out on 3-2 pitch. Replays showed the pitch to be outside.

"I'm not going to say anymore about (the umpires)," Miley said. "I've said enough."

Jimmy Haynes, making his second start of the year, went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits.

"I'm happy with it, especially after my last start," Haynes said. "Against these guys in this park, I'm pleased."

The Reds only threatened once more. Ryan Freel doubled and pinch-hitter Wily Mo Pena was hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh.

But Kyle Farnsworth got Jimenez and Larkin to fly out.

Then came the big seventh for the Cubs.

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
DJimenez 2b	3	0	0	0	1	1	.261
Larkin ss	4	0	1	0	0	0	.167
Reith p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Griffey Jr. cf	4	1	1	0	0	3	.250
Casey 1b	3	0	0	0	1	0	.364
Dunn lf	3	0	1	1	1	1	.395
Kearns rf	3	0	0	0	1	0	.171
LaRue c	4	0	0	0	0	1	.129
Freel 3b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.298
JHaynes p	2	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Riedling p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
WPena ph	0	0	0	0	0	0	.357
RWagner p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Olmedo ss	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	30	1	4	1	4	8

Chicago	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
TWalker 2b	2	0	0	0	3	0	.324
CPatterson cf	5	0	1	2	0	0	.255
SSosa rf	4	1	1	0	1	1	.314
Alou lf	5	1	2	0	0	0	.340
ARamirez 3b	4	2	2	1	1	0	.375
DeLee 1b	4	1	1	4	1	1	.244
ASGonzalez ss	5	2	3	0	0	1	.244
Barrett c	4	1	2	0	0	0	.333
Clement p	2	0	1	0	0	1	.400
Farnsworth p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Macias ph	1	0	1	1	0	0	.250
Wellemeyer p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Totals	36	8	14	8	6	4

Cincinnati	100	000	000	-1	4	2
Chicago	020	010	50x	-8	14	0

E-Kearns (1), Freel (2). LOB-Cincinnati 7, Chicago 11. 2B-Griffey Jr. (3), Freel (3), ASGonzalez (2). 3B-ARamirez (1). HR-DeLee (2), off RWagner; ARamirez (5), off JHaynes. RBIs-Dunn (11), CPatterson 2 (5), ARamirez (14), DeLee 4 (8), Macias (1). S-Clement. GIDP-SSosa, ASGonzalez.

Runners left in scoring position-Cincinnati 4 (Larkin, Dunn, LaRue 2); Chicago 4 (CPatterson, SSosa, ARamirez, Barrett).

Runners moved up-Casey, TWalker.

DP-Cincinnati 2 (Olmedo, DJimenez and Casey), (Freel, DJimenez and Casey); Chicago 1 (SSosa and DeLee).

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
JHaynes L, 0-2	5	6	3	3	3	4	103	6.75
Riedling	1	1	0	0	0	0	16	1.35
RWagner	0	6	5	5	1	0	14	14.54
Reith	2	1	0	0	2	0	31	0.00

Chicago	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Clement W, 2-1	6 1/3	4	1	1	4	6	107	2.76
Farnsworth H, 2	2/3	0	0	0	0	0	7	6.43
Wellemeyer	2	0	0	0	0	2	29	1.29

RWagner pitched to 7 batters in the 7th.

Inherited runners-scored-Reith 2-0, Farnsworth 2-0.

HBP-by Clement (WPena).

Umpires-Home, Chuck Meriwether; First, C.B. Bucknor; Second, Eric Cooper; Third, Mike Reilly.

T-2:57. A-39,057 (39,345).