By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HOUSTON - As a starting pitcher, you get plenty of time to think about your failures.

So Cory Lidle spent the four days between his starts trying to figure out what went wrong in Tuesday's 9-8 loss to Milwaukee.

Lidle went five innings and gave up five runs in that one.

He decided it was location.

"I spent four days working on locating my pitches," he said. "Except for the fourth inning, I did that today."

Lidle went seven innings Sunday, allowing three runs on five hits - all in the fourth inning - in the Reds' 6-5 loss to Houston.

"After that inning, I went to the dugout and thought about it," he said. "I was able to do it the rest of the way."

Lidle retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced - the other reached on an error.

The hitter that hurt Lidle most was Jeff Kent, who hit a two-run homer off him in the fourth. That should not be a surprise. Kent came in 2-for-10 against Lidle, but both hits were home runs.

"He's a good hitter," Lidle said. "Some hitters see it good out of your hand. I hung that curveball a little bit. I was trying to get him out front with off-speed stuff. I walked right into it."

DAY OFF, SORT OF: Second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez, one of the three Reds to be in every game, was out of the starting lineup Sunday.

Jimenez's day of rest lasted six innings, then he took over for Ryan Freel. Freel, who started at second, hurt his neck trying to catch a flare off the bat of Craig Biggio in the fifth. Freel left after trying to turn a double play in the sixth.

Freel has neck spasms and is listed as day-to-day.

NEW-LOOK LINEUP: In addition to Freel, Juan Castro started at shortstop for Barry Larkin.

"We had planned to give Larkin this day (off) five or six days ago," Miley said.

With Larkin and Jimenez out the order was: Freel 2B; Castro SS; Ken Griffey Jr. CF; Sean Casey 1B; Adam Dunn LF; Brandon Larson 3B; Javier Valentin C; Wily Mo Pena RF.

Casey and Dunn are the only players to have started all 24 games for the Reds.

K PENA: Wily Mo Pena has struck out swinging in seven of his last eight at-bats. He was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Sunday. He's struck out 15 times in 32 at-bats this season.

DUNN LOST IT: Dunn did not lose the ball in the lights Saturday night. He lost it in a dark spot in the roof at Minute Maid Park.

"I saw it at first. I was just hoping it would go foul," Dunn said.

The ball, off the bat of Jeff Bagwell, dropped for an RBI double.

The roof was open Sunday.

"I've got no excuses," Dunn said.

HOMER DROUGHT: Ken Griffey Jr. has not hit a home run in his last 62 at-bats.

That's the longest he's gone without a home run since Aug. 28 to Sept. 21, 2001 when he went 64 at-bats between home runs. His longest drought is 101 at-bats in 1990, his second year in the majors.

FARM REPORT: Charlie Manning, a 25-year-old left-hander obtained in the Aaron Boone deal with the New York Yankees, pitched six innings of one-run ball in Double-A Chattanooga's 2-1 win over Birmingham.

Manning allowed only three hits and two walks. He struck out five.

UP NEXT: The Reds conclude the four-game series with the Astros tonight with an 8:05 game. Right-hander Paul Wilson (3-0, 4.50 ERA) faces right-hander Roy Oswalt (2-1, 2.48).

Oswalt is a noted Reds killer. He is 8-0 with a 1.80 ERA against them in his career.

Reds notebook