The Reds helped the Pirates almost double their total number of runs for the 2006 season with a 3-9 loss on Tuesday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Aaron Harang started for the Reds and had any opening-day-esque performance, giving up seven runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks through four and third innings of work. Though, to be fair, it felt like much more than that.

Matt Belisle came in to provide “long relief,” if that's what you call one and two thirds innings these days. He allowed no runs on a hit, and walked two. Mike Burns struck out two but also allowed three hits en route to a scoreless seventh. Brian “Ram” Shackelford gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in the eighth.

The world's most potent offense made a mark on only one inning: the eighth. Scott Hatteberg demonstrated offensive prowess by being hit by a pitch but was forced out at second on Brandon Phillips' fielder's choice. David Ross hit a home run to left field to give the Reds their first two runs and Felipe Lopez hit one to center to give the Reds their last run. Edwin Encarnación flied out and Quinton McCracken grounded out to bring back that old familiar feeling of futility.

The loss brings the Reds record to 23-16 and their losing streak to four. The Reds send Bronson Arroyo to the mound to chase number five tonight at 7:05 p.m. He faces Oliver Perez.

According to the Kansas City Star, the Reds expressed interest in dealing with the Royals for Joe Mays before he was released on Monday:

The Royals wrote off right-hander Joe Mays as a $1 million loss by releasing him Monday after failing in efforts to trade him. The Reds had expressed some interest.

Mays, 30, was 0-4 with a 10.27 ERA in six starts. He was designated for assignment May 8 when the club activated Denny Bautista from the disabled list.

The release allows Mays to become a free agent. The Royals can still recoup of portion of his $1 million salary if he signs elsewhere. His new team would be obligated to pay a prorated share of the major-league minimum salary of $327,000.

General Manager Wayne “Kriv-dawg” Krivsky would remember Mays' 2001 season with the Twins where he was the owner of a 17-13 record in 34 starts (233 innings) with a 3.16 ERA. You might not be surprised to learn that Mays was injured shortly thereafter.

His 2006 start has hardly been scintillating, but he has been playing for the Royals, after all. But I guess Kriv-dawg has already passed, so we'll be deprived his double-digit ERA.

I'm shocked and horrified at what the Tiny-Casey-Nappers have done to everyone's favorite diminutive plastic fellow. What's next? A Casey sandwhich??

I demand Casey's immediate safe return!

I'm prepared to offer an autographed copy of Covering the Bases, several matchbooks, an autographed copy of the increasingly collectible book Funnyball, and whatever other crap I find laying around to the person who can find our tiny friend.

After pitching a few scoreless innings in the Hall of Fame game before it was rained out, Eric Milton has been cleared to return to the rotation and is scheduled to make a start on Saturday against Detroit.

To make room, Elizardo Ramirez will probably be the one sent back down. I guess that makes sense, but there are so many good candidates for sending to Louisville. I hope they'll all get due consideration.