By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer

CHICAGO - The Reds started Wednesday alone in second place in the National League Central for the first time since June 13.

The 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs dropped the Reds back into third, a half game behind the Cubs.

But do the NL Central standings really matter? Most experts have conceded the Central to the St. Louis Cardinals, who started Wednesday 9 1/2 games ahead of the Reds.

Reds manager Dave Miley isn't ready to do that.

"You never throw in the towel," Miley said. "Anything can happen in this game."

The Cardinals completed a two-game sweep of the Cubs on Tuesday by coming back from a 7-1 deficit to win 11-8.

St. Louis was 44-14 over its last 58 games going into Wednesday. The Cards are on pace to win 103 games.

"The Cardinals have a great team and they're on a nice roll," Miley said. "That makes it tough."

SAME OLD: The lineup that the Reds used Wednesday was identical to the one they used Sunday. That snapped a streak of 39 different lineups in 39 games.

BOX SCORE WILY: After going 0-for-3 Tuesday to snap a six-game hitting streak, Wily Mo Pena started another with a fourth-inning home run.

The blast to straightway center was Pena's seventh home run in nine games.

Pena is hitting .295 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI, not bad for someone who didn't play much the first month of the season.

"He'll still chase pitches every once in a while," Miley said. "But he's gotten much better."

SCORING CHANGE: Official scorer Glenn Sample made a scoring change after reviewing a play from the Reds' 6-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.

Pitcher Todd Jones, not second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez, will be charged with an error on Lyle Overbay's groundball in the eighth.

That means Jimenez's 43-game errorless streak is intact. Jimenez made it 44 in row Wednesday.

FARM REPORT: Shortstop Hector Tiburcio is sizzling at Single-A Potomac. Tiburcio went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 4-0 victory over Salem. Tiburcio, 22, is 9-for-12 over his last three games, raising his average from .271 to .291.

UP NEXT: The Reds wrap up the two-game series with the Cubs with a 2:20 p.m. game today. Right-hander Cory Lidle (6-7, 4.79 ERA) faces right-hander Greg Maddux (8-7, 4.18).

Lidle allowed three earned runs in six innings against St. Louis in his last outing. He got a no-decision in an eventual 7-5 Reds victory.