=== Cincinnati Reds Team Report - August 4 ===

(My Sportsbook) - The Reds couldn't quite get over the hump on Sunday and complete their first three-game sweep of San Francisco in the Queen City since 1994.

Instead, Cincinnati dropped a 7-3 decision to the Giants. Jimmy Haynes (2-12) dropped his third straight decision and seventh in his last eight overall. Haynes was reached for six runs on five hits in just 2 2/3 innings of work.

Haynes is the first Red pitcher to start a season at 2-12 since 1952 when Ewell Blackwell went 3-12 for the year.

Jason LaRue homered, while D'Angelo Jimenez and Juan Castro added an RBI apiece for the Reds, who had their four-game winning streak halted.

LaRue push his career-high home run total to 14. He also had 14 homers with Double-A Chattanooga in 1998 and hit 14 for Triple-A Louisville in 2000.

Prior to the game, the Reds purchased the contract of outfielder Mark Budzinski from Louisville of the International league and optioned pitcher Josh Hall to Chattanooga of the Southern League. Budzinski pinch-hit in the seventh and struck out.

Left-hander John Bale made his first major league appearance since Oct. 3, 2001, for Baltimore against Toronto. Bale worked two innings Sunday, allowing one run on two hits.

The Reds will hit the road for a quick six-game west coast swing, which will include trips to Los Angeles and San Diego. Cincy will begin the road trip in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Taking the ball for Cincy in the series opener against the Dodgers will be struggling righthander Danny Graves. The Vietnam native is without a win (0-4) in six starts, including a no-decision against Colorado last week. Graves actually pitched well against Colorado, giving up seven hits and two runs over seven innings, but the team fell 3-2.

Graves has owned the Dodgers in his career, going 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA against them. The twirler has allowed 19 hits and six earned runs over 23 1/3 innings versus Los Angeles.