DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI — After a stint on the disabled list last month with a strained forearm, Reds pitcher Aaron Harang knew his fastball wouldn't resurface right away.

But while he's been putting out an all-points-bulletin for his velocity, he might also want to consider assembling a search party for his control.

"Taking a month off, it takes you a good couple of weeks to get where you want to be," Harang said. "But for me, it's all about not hitting the spots — and not getting the breaks I'd like."

Harang failed to find the plate against opposing pitcher Ian Snell, walking him to lead off the third inning, and that lapse turned into a monumental break for the Pirates. Snell scored the deciding run in a 3-2 victory on Tuesday, Sept. 2, ending the Reds' modest three-game winning streak.

"That was the blow that really hurt. ... He's not a very good hitter, either," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Snell, who has a .143 average, reached third on a double by Nyjer Morgan and scored on a one-out grounder.

"I was trying to do too much, trying to make too good a pitch instead of throwing for strikes," Harang said.

The one-time Reds ace gave up five hits and three runs in six innings, falling to 4-15 with a 5.24 ERA.

Rookie Chris Dickerson hit his fifth home run (in 69 at-bats) to lead off the game for the Reds. After Harang gave up back-to-back homers in the second to the Pirates' Brandon Moss and Andy LaRoche, the Reds tied the game at 2-all in the bottom of the inning.

Jay Bruce singled, stole second, went to third on a throwing error and scored on Corey Patterson's single.

Trailing 3-2 in the sixth, Bruce and catcher Ryan Hanigan singled with one out, putting runners on first and third. But Patterson, who entered the game batting .197, struck out, and Wilkin Castillo, making his first major-league at-bat, fouled out to left.

The game produced a Web gem by the speedy Patterson, who reached over the wall in center field to rob LaRoche of his second home run of the night in the sixth.

"I thought that ball was gone, and I think LaRoche thought it was gone, too," Baker said. "But (Patterson) brought it back. I thought we'd win the game after that."

The Reds sold 18,024 tickets, but no more than 2,000 were in the stadium for the first pitch. Blame it on the heat (92 degrees) and apathy (the teams were a combined 38 games under .500).

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or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com