The Reds provided the Pirates with their sixth straight loss today with a 9-11 win in Cincinnati.

Opening Day starter Aaron Harang gave a much better show today, getting the win and striking out 10. He worked two batters into the seventh, giving up five runs (all earned) on eight hits. Mike Burns got the final out of he seventh, after allowing two inherited runners to score on a hit. Matt Belise gave up an earned run on a hit in the eighth.

Chris Hammond finally got an out today, in his third appearance. Unfortunately, it came with three earned runs on two hits. His ERA for 2006 is 189. Moving in the right direction!

Rick White took over after that one out to hold the Pirates scoreless on a hit and get the save.

The Reds got it going right away in the bottom of the first. Ryan Freel and Felipe Lopez both singled. Ken Griffey Jr. popped out. While Rich Aurilia was batting, Freel and Lopez pulled off the double-steal just in time for Aurilia to knock a homer to left field. Adam Dunn struck out and Edwin Encarnación popped out. Score: 0-3.

The Pirates came back in the top of the third when Jason Bay doubled and Jose Castillo homered three batters later. Humberto Cota struck out to end the threat. Score 2-3.

The Reds got one of the runs back in the bottom of the third. Freel walked, then stole second while Lopez was batting. Lopez then walked, and both runners advanced when Griffey grounded out to second. Aurilia walked to set up Adam Dunn for his second sacrifice fly of the year. It was a gentle hit to right field, but Freel's a madman and got in just before the throw. Lopez and Aurilia advanced on the throw home, but Encarnación popped out to end the inning. Score: 2-4.

The top of the fourth saw the Pirates score when Jose Castillo singled to knock in Freddy Sanchez with two outs. Cota again stuck out to end the threat. Score: 3-4.

The bottom of the fourth was a big one for the Reds. Kearns led off with a home run to center field. Javier Valentín struck out, but Aaron Harang reached on a fielding error. Freel singled to left and Lopez singled to center to load up the bases. Griffey walked, bringing in a run, getting Harang out from in front of Freel on the basepath, and prompting a pitching change.

Pirates pitcher Ryan Vogelsong didn't have much luck himself. A passed ball while Aurilia was batting allowed Freel to come in (and I bet he was disappointed that it was so easy). Aurilia lined out to the pitcher. Vogelsong then intentionally walked Dunn to load up the bases and face Encarnación. EE stood there dutifully while Vogelsong served up a wild pitch that allowed Lopez to score before grounding out to end the inning. Score: 3-8.

In the top of the seventh, Harang gave up a single to Castillo before striking out both McClouth and Ryan Doumit. But then Chris Duffy doubled and Narron pulled the plug. Mike Burns came in and immediately allowed the two inherited runners to score on a Jack Wilson double to right field. Thankfully, he struck out the next batter, Sean Casey, to end the threat. Score: 5-8.

In the bottom of seven, Encarnación singled and Kearns doubled to set up Valentín to hit a double down the right field line and score the runners. Soon-to-be-sent-down Andy Abad flied out to left on the first pitch he saw, but Freel singled to bring in Valentín. Lopez and Griffey made the final two outs of the inning. Score: 5-11.

The Pirates came up and got one of those runs back in the eighth when Sanchez doubled in Jason Bay. But it was the top of the ninth that about gave me a heart attack. For some reason, Narron put in Chris Hammond who struck out Chris Duffy. Then he walked Jack Wilson and allowed singles to Sean Casey and Jason Bay to load up the bases.

In came Rick White. He struck out Jose Hernandez, but gave up a 2-RBI single to Sanchez. White started to throw over to first, but Aurilia wasn't on the bag and it was a balk. Bay scored. Finally, Castillo grounded out to short and the victory was the Reds'. Score 9-11.

The win brings the Reds' record to 4-1. Tomorrow Dave Williams takes on his former team when the Reds finish the series with the Pirates at 1:15 p.m. Victor Santos goes for the Pirates.

As the Reds See It
Daedalus has a fever, and the only prescription is a closer. Tee-hee.

JinAZ has love for Milton, Felipe, and Freel. At least one of them gets to play every day.

Chad at RLN quotes an official news source. Imagine that.

JD of Red Reporter attended the game, rain delay and all. He says:

I'm 100% in favor of having Reds cheerleaders after seeing them in person. Pretty nice addition to GABP.

I'm appalled! To think, a married blogger drooling over baseball-related members of the opposite sex on the Internet. For shame!

Yesterday, Shawn named his post Reds Beat Pirates and I snarkily wondered what he'd name all the rest of the game wraps again Pittsburgh. Today, his post is Reds Beat Pirates Again. Consider me schooled.

As the Pirates See It
Bucco Blog suggests that perhaps Jim Tracy is mismanaging the team. I don't know much about the Pirates, but even I would have Craig “Thor” Wilson starting these games. --P.S. While you're at Bucco Blog, check out the Sean Casey GIDP Watch. I was amused.

Mike Boyko of Buried Treasure ponders the losing streak. He says that the last time the Pirates started the season with five straight losses was 1974, when they started with six losses. The 2006 squad will have to lose nine in a row if they want to take the record from the 1955 squad.

The Reds handed the Pirates their fifth straight loss before a paid crowd of 16,573 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati tonight. The actual crowd was probably a lot smaller than that, though, as the game didn't get started until 9:35 pm after an extended rain delay.

Eric Milton took the mound for the first time as a Red. The guy who pitched last season was the Evil Eric Milton from Bizarro World. I'm glad that guy's gone. Milton allowed two runs (both earned) on six hits through seven innings.

Todd Coffey gave up one earned run on two hits through the eighth. Chris Hammond received two earned runs on one hit without getting an out when David Weathers allowed his inherited runners to score. Weathers also allowed an earned run of his own on a hit over two-thirds of an inning. Kent Mercker got the last out of the game with a strike-out at about 12:15 am

The Reds took the early lead in the second inning when Adam Dunn and Edwin Encarnación took back-to-back walks. Austin Kearns moved the runners over, and David Ross plated Dunn with a ground-out to short. Milton grounded out to end the threat. Score: 0-1.

The good guys added to the lead the very next inning when Ryan Freel led off with a walk and continued around the bases when Felipe Lopez hit a home run to center. Ken Griffey, Jr flied out, and Rich Aurilia grounded out before Dunn walked and Encarnación doubled to put runners on second and third for Kearns. Kearns doubled to right field to score two more. David Ross lined out. Score: 0-5.

The Pirates first scored in the top of the sixth when Nate McLouth doubled and was knocked in two batters later by a Sean Casey home run. Sean Casey, the man who had nine home runs total for the Reds in 2005, has hit two in the first week of the season for the Pirates. Score: 2-5.

Lopez hit his second home run of the game in the seventh. Score: 2-6.

After a quick out in the top of the eighth, Coffey gave up a double to Casey and a single to Jason Bay to set up Jeromy Burnitz to ground out but score Casey. David Ross got the run back for the Reds in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot. Score: 3-7.

In came Chris Hammond in the top of the ninth. He walked Jose Castillo and gave up a single to Ryan Doumit before manager Jerry Narron gave him the hook. Hammond has now given up four runs over two appearances without getting an out. That's what we call an infinite ERA.

David Weathers just made matters worse when he served up a three-run homer to the first batter he faced, Craig Wilson. He struck out McClouth before walking Jose Hernandez and Casey. Jason Bay grounded to third in what should have been an easy double-play: Marty got as far as “This one belongs to th…” before he had to announce the runner was safe at first when Aurilia's throw pull Scott Hatteberg off the base.

That was enough for Weathers, and Kent Mercker came in to face the final batter of the game, and struck Bernitz out swinging.

The win brings the Reds' record to 3-1 and their winning streak to three. Tomorrow they host the Pirates at 1:15 pm. Aaron Harang takes on Oliver Perez for the Pirates.

The Associated Press annual salary survey is now available. Thanks to GROTA for pointing it out.

I don't really know enough about salaries to say anything too intelligent, but it's pretty interesting to look at. For instance, Ken Griffey, Jr. is the highest paid player on the Reds, but do you know who is the second?

Eric Milton with $9,833,333 is the answer. Most everyone would be glad for Milton to be average this year, but how awesome would he have to be to be worth almost $10 million?

Also intriguing that the Reds' overall payroll is down about a million dollars from last season. Assuming no change in the payroll, as Bob Castellini said when he first rolled into town, the Reds still have a million to play with.

Ooh! Maybe they'll use it to sign another second baseman!

The phrase has lost all meaning.

Per Marc:

Old news by now, I know (been away from the computer for a while), but the Reds have acquired infielder Brandon Phillips from the Indians for a player to be named or cash.

Phillips, 24, was long considered one of the top prospects around, and thought to be the key to the Bartolo Colon deal a few years ago. Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee ended up providing quite a bit more return for the Tribe.

He'll be on the Reds' active roster, though a corresponding move won't be made until Sunday. Matt Kata was designated for assignment to make room for Phillips on the 40-man.

Another interesting pickup. I keep waiting for a really big domino to fall somewhere here, considering all the catchers, second basemen and outfielders floating around. Stay tuned, I guess.

OK, so Marc thinks we're going to see the huge corresponding move to this one. But we've been waiting for that shoe to fall since they signed Womack back in December.

KC2HMZ, who by now ought to be listed as an official writer for RHM, had this to say about the deal in the comments:

Pssst! Don't look now, but the Reds just obtained Brandon Phillips from the Indians for a player to be named later or cash.

Phillips was part of the booty in the same trade that got the Indians Grady Sizemore and sent Bartolo Colon to the Expos.

Phillips' problem has been that he can't hit a lick. He actually won the Tribe's 2B job in the psring of 2003, but hit like .210 in 88 games and got sent down to Buffalo. He's played here in Buffalo for the last three years, where I've been able to see with my own eyes that he's a dynamite fielder at both 2B and SS who would be an all-star in the majors if he'd quit trying to hit every pitch 600 feet and learn to be a contact hitter.

That, and LaRue comes off the DL on, like, Monday. I still think there's going to be a major trade here, the Reds have too many catchers and too many middle infielders.

To give this move an even more sinister shade, Marc says in his subsequent post that general manager Wayne Krivsky felt the need to point out Phillips' service time at short stop on multiple occasions.

Would the Reds stockpile a zillion second basemen just to trade their one really good shortstop? The idea makes me slightly ill.