By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Members of the Reds' front office and coaching staff are scheduled to meet this afternoon to discuss the state of the team.

One item likely to be on the agenda is the status of Jimmy Haynes as the team's fifth starting pitcher.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Tuesday's game

"We'll probably come to a decision on that then," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "It's something that we'll look at."

Haynes, who was Cincinnati's Opening Day starter in 2003 and won 15 games in 2002, lasted just three innings and allowed five earned runs in a 6-2 Reds loss against the Brewers on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park.

In four starts this season, Haynes is 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA and has yet to pitch beyond the fifth inning. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings Friday at Houston for an overall ERA of 9.60.

"You're going to have your ups and your downs," Haynes said. "Unfortunately, I've had four downs so far.

"I'll let them (front office, coaching staff) worry about what they have to do."

Few braved the early-evening rain Tuesday to see the Reds' bullpen throw six scoreless innings in relief of Haynes. The crowd of 14,228 was the smallest in 91 games at Great American Ball Park.

Brewers starter Victor Santos and reliever Matt Kinney held the Reds, who were without three starting position players, to two hits before the ninth inning.

Cincinnati had four hits, including a triple by Barry Larkin, and scored twice in the final inning.

Haynes faced the minimum six batters as he breezed through the first two innings.

The third inning took 49 pitches to get through and ended with the Brewers ahead 6-0. Milwaukee sent 11 batters to the plate as Haynes allowed four hits and one walk and hit one batter.

The Brewers scored their first run when Valentin was called for catcher's interference with one out and the bases loaded.

Milwaukee shortstop Craig Counsell's swing nicked Cincinnati catcher Javier Valentin's glove as he hit a grounder back to the mound. The error allowed Wes Helms to score from third.

"If (Counsell) hits that groundball back to the pitcher, it's a double play and the inning is going to be over," Valentin said.

The next batter, second baseman Keith Ginter, made it 2-0 with a single to center field.

Two batters after that, with a 3-and-2 count and the bases loaded, first baseman Lyle Overbay fouled off five consecutive pitches before hitting Haynes' 10th pitch over the center-field wall for his first career grand slam.

"He wasn't getting around on the fastball, but I just got that one up and he got around on that one," Haynes said.

Tuesday was not Haynes' shortest start of the season. The right-hander was pulled after allowing four runs in one inning against the Pirates on April 24.

The early exit by Haynes further taxed a Reds bullpen that has pitched 81 1/3 innings in 25 games.

Todd Van Poppel, however, strengthened his position to possibly move into the fifth starting spot. The right-hander struck out three in three scoreless innings of relief.

Phil Norton, Ryan Wagner and Brian Reith each pitched one scoreless inning of relief.

"It just seems like when things are going bad, everything goes bad," Haynes said. "As a pitcher, you've just got to keep going out there when they give you the ball and keep pitching."

Milwaukee	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Podsednik cf	4	0	0	0	0	1	.291
Counsell ss	3	1	1	1	1	0	.211
KGinter 2b	5	1	2	1	0	1	.275
Jenkins lf	4	1	0	0	0	0	.270
Overbay 1b	4	1	2	4	0	1	.320
BClark rf	3	0	1	0	1	0	.227
Helms 3b	3	1	2	0	1	0	.218
GBennett c	4	1	1	0	0	1	.268
VSantos p	2	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Grieve ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.235
Kinney p	1	0	0	0	0	0	.250
LVizcaino p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Totals	34	6	9	6	3	6

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
DJimenez 2b	3	0	0	0	1	0	.224
Reith p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Larkin ss	3	1	2	0	1	0	.289
Casey 1b	4	1	1	1	0	0	.394
Dunn lf	3	0	1	0	1	0	.303
Larson 3b	4	0	1	1	0	1	.308
JaCruz rf	4	0	1	0	0	3	.333
Valentin c	4	0	0	0	0	1	.143
WPena cf	4	0	0	0	0	1	.216
JHaynes p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Romano ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.083
Van Poppel p	1	0	0	0	0	0	.333
PNorton p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
RWagner p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
JCastro ph-2b	1	0	0	0	0	1	.233
Totals	32	2	6	2	3	8

Milwaukee	006	000	000	-6	9	0
Cincinnati	000	000	002	-2	6	3

Counsell reached first on catcher's interference.

E-DJimenez (2), Larson (3), Valentin (2). LOB-Milwaukee 6, Cincinnati 6. 2B-GBennett (3), Larson (2). 3B-Larkin (1). HR-Overbay (3), off JHaynes. RBIs-Counsell (6), KGinter (10), Overbay 4 (24), Casey (21), Larson (5). CS-Counsell (1). GIDP-Jenkins, Casey. DP-Milwaukee 1, Cincinnati 3.

Milwaukee	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
VSantos W, 1-0	5	1	0	0	3	6	77	4.00
Kinney	3	4	2	2	0	1	49	8.31
LVizcaino	1	1	0	0	0	1	10	3.65

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
JHaynes L, 0-3	3	5	6	5	2	2	68	9.60
Van Poppel	3	1	0	0	0	3	39	4.50
PNorton	1	1	0	0	0	0	9	7.56
RWagner	1	1	0	0	1	0	20	10.0
Reith	1	1	0	0	0	1	11	7.84

Kinney pitched to 3 batters in the 9th.

Inherited runners-scored-LVizcaino 2-1.

IBB-off VSantos (Dunn) 1. HBP-by JHaynes (Podsednik).

Umpires-Home, Gary Darling; First, Bill Hohn; Second, Rob Drake; Third, Mark Carlson.

T-2:35. A-14,228 (42,271).