By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cory Lidle was happy to talk Saturday morning, but on one condition.

Off limits were questions about the decision to intentionally walk Barry Bonds with two outs and nobody on base in a 0-0 game Friday - a move followed by Pedro Feliz's two-run homer.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Saturday's game

The Reds pitcher, who left the clubhouse before reporters were allowed in Friday, then spoke candidly about how the intentional walk and resulting home run broke his concentration.

"I had a good rhythm going," said Lidle, who had retired 20-of-21 batters before the walk. "I was making my pitches. I don't think I could throw the ball any better than I did."

Feliz hit a 1-2 curveball to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. Lidle retired the next batter to end the inning, but allowed four hits and was charged with four runs in the eighth.

"I took a very unprofessional approach to the eighth inning," Lidle said. "From what happened before, that home run I gave up, I didn't shake it off as well as I could have."

Miley stood by his decision Saturday, and later chatted with Lidle for several minutes.

"I'm sure he wasn't happy," Miley said before Saturday's game. "He didn't come to me and say he was unhappy. But I pull for him just like I pull for every guy.

"It was 100 percent, a no-doubt decision for me."

WILLING, BUT READY?: Pitcher Jose Acevedo threw in the bullpen before the game, and pronounced himself fit to make Tuesday's scheduled start against the Padres.

Acevedo left Wednesday's start after a callus came off his middle finger in the fifth inning.

"It's still bothering me a little bit, but I will pitch," he said. "I don't think that will be a problem."

INJURIES, PART II: Catcher Jason LaRue (broken right index finger) and right fielder Austin Kearns (broken left forearm) worked out with the team again Saturday.

Kearns is eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday and LaRue on Friday.

They will be re-evaluated today.

UP NEXT: Plucked from the bullpen to take Jimmy Haynes' spot in the Reds rotation, Todd Van Poppel makes his first start of the season today.

"It's the exact same thing," Van Poppel said. "You're trying to get people out no matter if I'm starting the game or coming in the fourth, fifth or seventh."

Van Poppel is 23-34 with a 6.45 ERA in 87 career starts. He was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in six relief appearances this season.

MINOR MATTERS: In his sixth start at Triple-A Louisville, Brandon Claussen allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Claussen is 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 32 hits allowed over 31 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Charlie Manning, who along with Claussen was acquired from the Yankees in the Aaron Boone trade last July, allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven in five innings for Double-A Chattanooga on Friday.

Manning is 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA in six starts this season.

ODDS AND ENDS: Pitching coach Don Gullett attended his daughter Angela's graduation from the University of Kentucky on Saturday. He will return to the team today. ... The six home runs Saturday tied a stadium record. ...

Third baseman Brandon Larson did not play Saturday because of tightness in his left quadriceps. He's day-to-day.

REDS FACT: The team entered Saturday batting .225 with runners in scoring position, 28th in the major leagues.

Reds statistics

(Through Saturday's game)

BATTERS	AVG	OBA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	E
Casey	.372	.409	121	20	45	13	1	3	23	8	11	1	0	1
Cruz	.316	.409	19	4	6	2	0	0	2	3	10	0	0	0
Larkin	.306	.353	108	18	33	6	1	1	8	8	13	2	0	0
Dunn	.278	.492	90	24	25	4	0	10	20	37	37	2	0	1
Larson	.278	.350	36	4	10	3	0	1	5	4	6	0	0	5
Freel	.268	.326	82	10	22	3	3	1	5	4	17	5	2	4
Griffey	.248	.331	105	16	26	7	0	6	21	12	22	1	0	0
Castro	.235	.291	51	7	12	2	1	1	6	4	12	0	0	1
Jimenez	.219	.348	114	18	25	6	0	3	14	22	24	2	2	2
LaRue	.211	.292	57	7	12	4	0	1	10	5	11	0	0	3
Pena	.200	.273	40	3	8	1	1	1	4	3	19	0	0	0
Valentin	.158	.209	38	4	6	2	0	2	7	3	5	0	0	3
Kearns	.137	.290	51	7	7	2	1	2	5	10	15	1	0	1
Romano	.077	.200	13	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	7	0	0	0
Miller	.000	.348	12	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	6	0	0	0
Team Totals	.245	.343	996	145	244	57	7	32	133	139	247	14	4	21

PITCHERS	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Riedling	1	0	0.60	14	0	0	15.0	7	1	1	0	3	13
Graves	1	2	3.24	17	0	13	16.2	17	10	6	6	2	11
Wilson	4	0	4.43	7	7	0	42.2	53	23	21	6	12	22
Van Poppel	1	1	4.50	6	0	0	12.0	13	6	6	0	4	8
Acevedo	2	2	4.54	6	6	0	35.2	34	19	18	8	7	29
Harang	2	1	4.96	6	6	0	32.2	42	18	18	5	14	26
Lidle	2	2	5.15	7	7	0	43.2	43	26	25	5	9	26
Jones	2	1	5.40	16	0	0	16.2	15	10	10	1	7	15
Norton	0	0	6.10	14	0	0	10.1	13	7	7	1	5	6
Reith	0	1	7.50	12	0	0	12.0	15	10	10	1	9	13
Wagner	1	1	9.31	12	0	0	9.2	22	12	10	2	9	6
Haynes	0	3	9.60	5	4	0	15.0	26	17	16	3	7	8
Team Totals	16	14	5.08	30	30	13	262	300	159	148	38	88	183