By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ryan Freel still refers to himself as a utility player, even though he has started 30 of the Reds' 39 games.

But he does fit the description of utility by one standard: Those starts have come at five positions.

He has started in all three outfield spots as well as second and third base.

With right fielder Austin Kearns' return Wednesday, Freel was back at third base. His previous nine starts were in the outfield.

"It's an adjustment," he said. "But if you're a utility guy, that's what you do. Even when I've been playing the outfield, I take groundballs every day. Playing the outfield comes naturally to me."

Lately, however, Freel has spent more time working at shortstop and second base.

"To be honest with you, I haven't been taking many at third," he said. "I probably should have. I was out there (Wednesday) for some early work."

Freel missed Tuesday's game with a sore quadriceps. He was batting in the leadoff spot Wednesday.

Freel, after hitting a lull, has been hot at the plate. He entered Wednesday hitting .357 over his last nine games. He raised his average from .230 on May 5 to .274.

He led the National League with five triples, going into Wednesday.

Freel's offense is what kept him in the lineup. Tim Hummel has played pretty well at third since being called up to take Brandon Larson's roster spot.

"Hummel's done a good job," Miley said. "(But) we like what Freel brings to the top of the lineup."

When Larson comes back, Freel likely will be used in more of a utility role.

"I'll get a spot start here or there to give guys days off," he said. "I'm pretty comfortable with that. I came up playing second. I've played a lot of third this year."

RARE PAIR: Stat man Mark Wagner called Marty Brennaman to let him know that Marty and his son Thom are the only father and son broadcasters in history to each call a perfect game.

Thom, the television voice of the Arizona Diamondbacks, called Randy Johnson's perfect game Tuesday night.

Marty, of course, did Tom Browning's on Sept. 16, 1988.

"(Wagner) said the chance of seeing a perfect game is one in 10,681," Marty said.

That means an announcer could call every game for 65.9 seasons and not see one.

CY SEG: WLW personality Bill "Seg" Dennison threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Wednesday's game.

Dennison is the honorary chairman of the Kid Glove committee.

Dennison delivered a pretty good pitch - belt high a little off the plate.

FARM REPORT: Center fielder Kenny Kelly went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Chattanooga's 4-3 victory over Carolina Tuesday.

Kelly, a 25-year-old former Miami Hurricane quarterback, leads the Southern League with a .348 average. He has four home runs, 21 RBI and 10 stole bases in 38 games. The Reds signed Kelly as six-year minor-league free agent.

Richie Gardner, last year's sixth-round pick, finally had a rough start as a professional.

Gardner (5-2) allowed six runs on nine hits in three innings in Single-A Potomac's 10-1 loss to Lynchburg Tuesday. His ERA is still only 2.55.

Wednesday, Thomas Pauly, the No. 2 pick in last year's draft, threw 3 2/3 innings of two-hit shutout ball in the Cannon's 5-1 win over Lynchburg.

UP NEXT: The Reds wrap up the three-game series with the Rockies in a 7:10 game tonight. Right-hander Paul Wilson (5-0, 3.99 ERA) faces left-hander Joe Kennedy (4-1, 2.85). Wilson has allowed a total of three runs on 12 hits over 14 innings in his last two starts.

The Reds are 7-1 in games he has started.