Reds-Cubs, Thursday 7/10/08. Reds pound Cubs pitching.

Result: Reds 12, Cubs 7. The Cubs dropped to 55-37, 4 games ahead of Milwaukee and 4.5 games clear of third-place St. Louis in the NL Central. The Cubs have the best record in the National League and are 35-11 at Wrigley Field.

What happened: Ted Lilly failed to get out of the third inning, and the Cub relievers didn't do any better. Cincinnati hit seven home runs, including HRs in six consecutive innings, erasing an early 3-1 Cubs lead.

It was over when: Ken Griffey launched a 3-run homer in the fourth, the 605th of his career. That gave the Reds a 7-3 lead. The Cubs got to within 10-7 in the sixth, but the Cincy bullpen shut them out over the final three innings.

Concerns: Don't be confused by Lilly's won-loss record (9-6), his ERA stands at 4.68 and he has been nowhere near the pitcher he was for most of 2007. After back-to-back stellar outings from Dempster and Zambrano, let this game serve as a not-so-gentle reminder of the necessity of Rich Harden. Geovany Soto started a day game after a night game. I know the all-star break is coming up, but as the NL's starting catcher, Soto won't get much of a break. He has played in 85 of the Cubs' 92 games, starting the vast majority. Ryan Theriot seemed to crumble late in the 2007 season, no doubt feeling the strain of a 162-game grind. Soto is far too valuable. It would be great to see Henry "Hank White" Blanco get a few more spot starts, beginning today.

Up next: Giants-Cubs at 1:20 today at Wrigley. Matt Cain, who shut out the Cubs for 8 innings last week in Frisco, takes on Jason Marquis, who could be pitching to keep his spot in the rotation.