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SAN DIEGO — The evidence is mounting that Horace Greeley was not a Cincinnati Reds fans when he wrote, "Go west, young man."

The young men of the Reds have come west and discovered sunshine, sea and sand — the sand coming on the baseball field where they have had tons of it kicked in their faces while losing six straight after coming from behind to win the first game on the trip in San Francisco.

Then they lost three in a row in San Francisco and three in a row in Los Angeles.

Several times this season, manager Jerry Narron has said, "Everybody expects our wheels to fall off," and he said it again in Los Angeles. The wheels may not have fallen off, but the two charter buses that took them from Los Angeles to San Diego looked as if they rolled out of Dodger Stadium on several flat tires riding on the rims.

While in Los Angeles, the Reds lost the wild card lead for the first time since July 14 and they not only lost the lead they slithered to third place in the wild card standings.

Narron was spotted Thursday morning running the pavement near Seaport Village while some of his players golfed, fished and used the day off in this recreation paradise to get away from it all.

It's back to business Friday night when the Reds open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres, hoping they don't go out of business. The Padres now lead the wild card and it behooves the Reds to win all three, even though Narron said, "We just want to win a game right now."

Meanwhile, general manager Wayne Krivsky continues his paper-shuffling and tinkering. Pitcher Mark Belisle, victimized by back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium Wednesday, was optioned to Class A Sarasota and infielder Brendan Harris was recalled from Class AAA Louisville.

Belisle most likely will return next week when Sarasota's season ends. Harris was part of the eight-player trade with the Washington Nationals, but was immediately sent to Louisville, where he hit .324 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 43 games.

He won't turn this mess around. That needs to come from the core players who suddenly are playing as if a baseball is a foreign object.

During the six-game losing streak, they are 6 for 57 (.105) with runners in scoring position and eight of the 15 runs they've scored in the six games came on home runs.

"I've seen some of our guys not being as selective at the plate as we have been," said Narron. "We've just struggled so much on this trip with runners in scoring position that guys are concentrating too much on, 'I have to get a hit,' rather than having a good at-bat."

A good thing — unless Greg Maddux gets traded again, the Reds won't have to face him again, unless it is the postseason. Maddux has won 12 games this season, five against the Reds.

"The thing is, we're not playing well, but we're still right in it," said Narron.

But for how long? And by the way, Greeley stole the line about going west, young man. It was first written by John Soule. The Reds don't care. They just wish they never came west.