The Reds broke a three-game losing streak and a 21-inning runless streak yesterday afternoon with a 4-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bronson Arroyo allowed four runs (earned) on seven hits and three walks through six innings of work. Chris Hammond pitched a hitless seventh. David Weathers allowed zero runs on two hits through the eighth and ninth for the win.

Hammond's ERA now stands at 5.51. It's a number so unnoteworthy that new readers probably don't even know why I bring it up.

After Arroyo gave up three runs in the top of the first, it was feeling like it was going to be another one of those days. But Ryan Freel celebrated his return to starter-dom with a lead-off home run, which provided excitement if not anything resembling a lead.

The Reds managed to keep their error count to one this time. Again our buddy Freel contributed in that department, allowing Shawn Green to advance to second on a fielding error in the sixth. The Diamondbacks did score another run in the sixth, but it wasn't Green.

In the bottom of the eighth, David Ross singled and Scott Hatteberg hit a home run to bring the score within one. Freel doubled and Felipe Lopez sacrificed him to third, but after an intentional walk of Ken Griffey, Jr., Rich Aurilia struck out and Adam Dunn lined out to end the threat.

It was a frustrating night for Dunn, who went 0-for-4. When he was called out on strikes in the seventh inning, he took it up with the home plate umpire. Manager Jerry Narron came out to protect his slugger and got himself kicked out of the game in the process.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Austin Kearns took a big swing and sent the ball dribbling into the infield. He legged it out to first to set up Javier Valentín for the big walk-off home run.

The win brings the Reds record to 28-22. Today they begin a nine-game road trip, with three games with the Cubs, Astros, and Cardinals. Elizardo Ramirez faces Kerry Wood at 2:20. That sounds fair.

It'd be nice to see that guy play more.

The Reds Community Fund is putting on a charity concert on June 15 to benefit the Reds Community Fund. The concert will feature the musical stylings of Bronson Arroyo and Raquel Aurilia. The Screaming Mimes will open.

Today on the podcast we talk to Media Designer, Scoreboard Operations Expert, and Screaming Mime David Storm about the concert. We're also planning to chat with Raquel Aurilia for the next episode of the podcast. Chances of getting Bronson Arroyo don't seem good.

You can get tickets at the Official Site or by calling 513-765-7042.

Episode 13: David Storm on the Reds Community Fund Concert. (8.1 MB, 8:50)

For the second straight night, the Reds forced headline writers everywhere to come up with yet another way to say “this offense can't score for crap” after a 7-0 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Aaron Harang took the mound and allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits and one walk through seven innings. Kent Mercker, fresh off the disabled list, worked the eighth and allowed three runs (earned) on two hits and two walks. Matt Belisle held 'em hitless in the ninth.

The Reds' five hits were contributed by Felipe Lopez, Ken Griffey, Jr., Scott Hatteberg, Austin Kearns, and Harang.

Harang's hit came to lead-off the bottom of the fifth inning. The previous inning, Adam Dunn and Rich Aurilia walked before Hatteberg and Kearns made outs. Jason LaRue came up with two outs and worked a full count. Finally, he would try to pull back his swing at ball four and struck out. He was mad because he didn't think he went around, but I was mad because he pulled back.

The number eight batter can't try to draw a walk to load them up for the pitcher in the fourth inning, I said indignantly to my Crack Technical Staff. If it's hittable (and it was), he's got to hit it. Then Harang got his hit to lead off the fifth and my Crack Technical Staff made fun of me. I still think he should have swung.

The loss brings the Reds record to 27-22, their losing streak to three, and their shaking-your-head-and-sighing quotient through the roof. They attempt to avoid the sweep this afternoon by sending Bronson Arroyo up against Enrique Gonzales. Gonzales brings no record and no ERA to the game, so maybe this will be the game the Reds finally score a run against the Diamondbacks.

The Reds' offense continued a disturbing trend of being nonexistent on Friday when they lost the series opener to the Diamondbacks by a score of 3-0.

Eric Milton took the mound for the Reds for the second time since he's come off the disabled list. His first outing was very shaky: he allowed five runs on ten hits and three walks through five innings. This time was much stronger: one run (earned) on three hits in eight innings. Alas, it was no less of a loss.

Todd Coffey pitched the ninth and gave up his first home run of 2006, a two-run shot that caused his ERA to skyrocket to 1.26.

The Reds outhit the Diamondbacks 5-7. Adam Dunn provided three of those hits. Brandon Phillips, Scott Hatteberg, Austin Kearns, and Edwin Encarnación each provided one.

The loss brought the Reds' record to 27-21. They would continue the series on Saturday night, pitting Aaron Harang against Juan Cruz.

Cody Ross. He hasn't had the chance to do much for the team on the field, but his very presence has had a positive impact on the roster:

• He's the guy the Reds DFA'd Womack for after getting him from the Dodgers for a PTBN.
• He's the guy who went on the DL after he was hit in his first at-bat, making room for Chris Denorfia.
• He's the guy who sent Mike Burns down to Louisville when he came off the DL.

Hopefully, he's done it one last time. Yesterday the Reds traded him to the Marlins for a PTBN so as to make room on the roster for Kent Mercker.

Good luck, Ross; we hardly knew ya. Welcome back Mercker. And go read the story on reds.com about the trade. It makes Kriv-dawg sound like a saint.

The Reds failed to take home the sweep of the Brewers on Wednesday. It was a game that featured a strange line-up and plenty of struggling pitching.

• Phillips 2B
• C. Ross LF
• Griffey CF
• Aurilia SS
• Kearns RF
• Hatteberg 1B
• Encarnacion 3B
• LaRue C
• Claussen P

Brandon Claussen took the mound and worked six innings. He allowed five runs (earned) on seven hits and two walks for the loss.

Matt Belisle got the first out of the seventh, but allowed one run (earned) on one hit in the process. Brian Shackelford also worked an out but held the Brewers hitless. Rick White worked one-and-a-third innings and allowed no runs on one hit. David Weathers worked the ninth inning and allowed zero runs on zero hits.

The Brewers already had all the runs they would need to win the game before the Reds scored their first run in the bottom of the third inning. Claussen led off with a single and Brandon Phillips walked. Cody Ross, fresh off the DL, singled to load 'em up.

Ken Griffey Jr grounded out to bring in Claussen. At least they got one run out of it; the 2005 team would have scored none in a no-outs bases-loaded situation. Rich Aurilia then walked to load them up again to set up the 2006 team to score none in a one-out bases-loaded situation.

Austin Kearns hit a solo shot in the sixth to bring in the other Reds' run.

The loss brings the Reds' record to 27-20. They're in second place in the NLC, four games back of St. Louis and two-and-a-half games up on third-place Houston. Tonight they start a three-game home series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:10 p.m. Eric Milton faces Brandon Webb.

So Griffey is pissed off at the media. Rather, he's pissed off at a couple sports radio guys who said he ought to change positions for the good of the team and he's taking it out on everyone.

In response, every damn media outlet is talking about how awesome he is. He had a couple good plays in center field and a couple dropped that Denorfia would have gotten to. But it's the good ones that are all anyone can talk about as they seem to try to get back on his good side.

It's not just the the official site, who says cites his “spectacular defensive plays that were … buzz-worthy”. Or Kevin Kelly in a story in the Enquirer says that “Griffey is showing naysayers, particularly some in the talk-radio genre, that he remains one of the game's premier players.” The FSN guys were doing it before yesterday's game too. It's a freaking epidemic.

But here's something to consider: if a 9-year old walked past you on the street and said “you have three arms!” would you be upset? Probably not. You know you don't have three arms, and what do you care what some 9-year old thinks anyway?

On the other hand, if you had a large protrusion coming out of your shoulder that you were really self-concious about, would you be upset? Would a bunch of newspapers writing about how not-three-armed you were make it all better?

The voices of sports radio are not well-regarded in general; it's not as if someone Griffey admires and respects told him he was hurting the team. So for Griffey to get so worked up over this says a lot more about how he's feeling about himself than how he's feeling about the Cincinnati airwaves. He might not even acknowledge it to himself, but deep down he's been thinking that maybe he's not the best choice at center anymore.

I predict we'll see Griffey “filling in” at first base before the end of the season. And there's nothing wrong with that, man. We'd be glad to have you there.

Wayne Krivsky and the Reds actually managed to trade Dave Williams today, just five days after he was designated for assignment to make room for Eric Milton.

According to the story on the official site, the Reds traded Williams for minor league pitcher Robert Manuel:

Entering his second professional season, Manuel is scheduled to report to Class A Dayton. The Mets had planned to use him at their short-season Class A affiliate in Brooklyn.

The 22-year-old right-hander was 8-1 with a 2.06 ERA last season for the Gulf Coast Mets before a promotion to Brooklyn. Overall, he struck out 54 with only four walks in 61 2/3 innings.

I don't know what kind of magic Kriv-dawg has to make things like this work out, but not only has he gotten out from under Williams salary, but he's also picked up double-A pitching fodder. It seems too good to be true.

Technically, this is not allowed, so watch it quick before someone has a chance to complain and make me take it down. And shop at Champion Ford!