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Free fall continues for Reds

Cincinnati has lost nine of its last 10 games

Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Phillips (4) crawls into second base with a steal after San Diego Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera (1) was pulled off the bag by a high throw in the third inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 30, 2009.

Associated Press photo by Al Behrman Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Phillips (4) crawls into second base with a steal after San Diego Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera (1) was pulled off the bag by a high throw in the third inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 30, 2009.

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 6:30 PM Thursday, July 30, 2009

CINCINNATI — If losing a bunch of games to the San Diego Padres is like losing all your marbles to your little sister, then the Cincinnati Reds are holding an empty bag today.

For the third time in four games, the Reds lost to one of baseball's worst teams — 38-61 when the Padres landed at Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport — this time 7-4.

The Reds have lost nine of their last 10 and 11 of 14 since the All-Star break and are sinking faster than the Bismarck toward the bottom of the sea, or the bottom of the National League Central.

For the third straight game, The Reds were behind before they gripped a bat.

On Tuesday, the Padres scored one in the first against Bronson Arroyo en route to a 3-2 win. On Wednesday, the Padres scored five in the first against Aaron Harang en route to a 7-1 victory. On Thursday, it was Johnny Cueto giving up a run in the first on his way to a 7-4 defeat.

What is it about the first innings? The Reds have been outscored this year in the first inning, 90-55, and the next highest total they've given up is 64 in the sixth inning.

Cueto gave up six runs and nine hits in five innings to assure himself of his fourth straight loss. Remember early in the season when the Reds owned the best starting staff in baseball, as far as earned run average. The starters now rank 14th of the 16 National League teams.

And what is it about the Padres? On May 15, the Reds were fresh from a three-game sweep in Arizona that had them tied for first place.

Then they lost three straight in San Diego and have been circling the drain ever since, going 1-6 against the Padres.

Before this string of defeats, there was a question whether the Reds would be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline and during this week a 'For Sale' sign appeared at the main gate. Now it's a lighted billboard flashing, 'Sale, sale, sale.'

The Padres led 7-1 heading into the ninth and pinch-hitter Adam Rosales hit a three-run homer, "My first pinch-hit homer ever. I'm learning that role. It is a big role to learn on a team, especially a young team. You want to do that in more of a pressure situation."

Said Rosales of the team's dilemma, "This is definitely a grind, but you have to be able to show up every day and stay together as a team. At the beginning of the season, the pitchers were picking up the hitters and the hitters were picking up the pitchers."

Now the Reds are just picking up the pieces.

As so often happenes, one play that goes unnoticed at the time turned things ugly for the Reds.

It was in the fifth with the Reds trailing by only one run. The Padres had one out and a runner on first when Kevin Kouzmanoff grounded to third base — a potential inning-ending double play.

The potential, though, exploded, when third baseman Edwin Encarnacion’s throw to second baseman Brandon Phillips was off target and the Reds were lucky to get the out at second.

What followed was a double, a hit by pitch and a three-run home run by Will Venable that made it 6-1.

“Not turning that double play led to four runs,” said Reds manager Dusty Baker. “That’s where defense is very, very important. You play for that (double play grounder) and we just didn’t turn it. That was the difference in the game.

“It wasn’t a good throw to second base and Brandon had all he could do to just catch the ball and step on second base for the force,” said Baker.

Baker, of course, is keeping the faith, despite his team’s direction — 11 games under .500.

The Colorado Rockies pay a weekend visit, “And we face Aaron Cook (tonight) and he is very tough. We have to come with it because the Rockies are smelling the playoffs.”

That’s a different odor other folks are sniffing in Great American Ball Park these days.

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