Well, that was special.

The Reds gave it up big time to drop two of the three-game series to the Cubs this afternoon, 3-11.

Eric Milton, who was injured in his last shot and the recent recipient of a cortisone shot, was left on the mound long enough to give up six earned runs in one-third of the first inning. I'm sure no one would be surprised if there were anyone not watching football today.

Sunny Kim took over for the rest of first and the second to promptly allow a home run to the pitcher. He gave up a couple of earned runs on three hits, just like Jason Johnson did in the third and fourth. Jason Standridge gave up only one earned run on three hits in the fifth and sixth.

Matt Belisle pitched a scoreless seventh. And while Gary Majewski failed to allow any runs in the eighth, he did something I previously thought impossible: he issued a walk to a Cub. We've all got to have our personal accomplishments.

The offense continued to be AWOL today, despite the fact that just about everyone got a try at the Cubs' pitching. Rich Aurilia went 1-for-2 with a walk before he was pulled in the sixth. Javier Valentín went 2-for-4 with one of the team's three runs scored in the ninth.

Adam Dunn was 0-for-2 with a walk before he came out in the eighth. Dunn is just--wow--awful lately. I'm sure it doesn't help that he's the only slugger in the line-up these days. Ken Griffey, Jr. was 0-for-0 as he continued to sit out to nurse a sore toe. Poor Jr.'s toe.

The loss brings the Reds' record to 73-76. They go on to face the Astros in Houston and quite possibly hand over the #2 position in the NLC. The Astros are just two games behind the Reds. Kyle Lohse goes against Roy Oswalt at 8:05 p.m.