For Rose’s Reds, Tomorrow’s Another Day : Despite a Lost Weekend and the Loss to Dodgers, They’re Still in First

The Cincinnati Reds, who have been in first place in the National League West since May 29, were still there when their game against the Dodgers ended Tuesday night at 8:20. Whether they would have company remained to be seen.

The Reds’ 7-2 loss at Dodger Stadium was their fifth defeat in six games, the major damage having come from a four-game weekend sweep at San Francisco. After playing an early game Tuesday to accommodate national television, they later learned that the Giants had lost, 7-3, to Houston. The Reds’ one-game lead on first place in the National League West would last another day.

Cincinnati has played this hold-’em-off game most of the season. This is a team, after all, that has held its ground despite not having won more than four straight this season. At the same time, the Reds haven’t lost more than four in a row.

“Some of the worst teams in baseball go on a six-, seven-, eight-game winning streak, and we haven’t even been able to do that yet,” said Buddy Bell, Cincinnati’s veteran third baseman who went 2 for 3 with a walk to raise his average to .284. “We need that.

“I can’t understand that. Nothing against some of the teams who haven’t been playing well this year, but they have at least put something together. For one reason or another, whether it be pitching or defense or whatever, we have not.

“We’ve had trouble playing consistent and putting anything together. We got a big win last night (Monday over the Dodgers) and came back tonight and then things didn’t work out the way we wanted. We’ve got to be looking to go on some kind of a roll. Naturally, that would give us some confidence, if we lack that. But I don’t think that’s the case.”

So where do the Reds stand today, beyond what the standings show? That doesn’t matter, said Manager Pete Rose, who knows a thing or 20 about title drives.

To Rose, the only game that matters after one is completed is the next one. Of course, that’s easy to say after a loss.

“How do you think we’re playing when we’ve lost five out of six?” Rose said. “Like the ’27 Yankees? . . . We played a great game last night (Monday) and you don’t ask me then how we’re playing. If I forgot about the weekend, I think you can.

“It really doesn’t matter how we played over the weekend or how we played last night or how we played tonight. I have to worry about how we’ll play tomorrow. I have to worry about Aug. 12.

“We played ‘Frisco with them breathing down our necks on the road, and they were at home. . . . I wouldn’t be surprised if they play like we did on the road, that’s why I can’t worry about it. I want to be in first place every day.”

Said Bell: “We have to worry about ourselves. Despite what the Giants do tonight, we’ll still be in the driver’s seat.”

Tuesday, Rose gave the starting pitching assignment to Jeff Montgomery, a 25-year-old right-hander who had been promoted from Triple-A on July 31. He had made three appearances in the majors before this, all in relief, but Rose wanted to take advantage of the twilight start, when the shadows make it harder for batters to see the ball.

“I don’t think anyone saw the ball for the first three at-bats tonight,” Rose said. “I’ve been through that.

“He pitched all right. You could always pitch better, but (the umpires) couldn’t wait to call a balk on him (in the first inning). And every time he made a good pitch, (the Dodgers) hit a flare off him. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they hit him all over the lot. . . . He didn’t get a break.”

Montgomery left after five innings, trailing, 5-1, and having allowed eight hits and three walks.

More Cincinnati numbers: The Reds went 15-7 in April but then recorded 13-14, 14-13 and 13-14 records the next three months. A 4-7 start in August hasn’t knocked them out of first place, either.