PIRATES Bungling is Bucs' downfall in 11-9 loss to Cincinnati

Pittsburgh is 0-6 for the first time since 1974.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- For the Pittsburgh Pirates, it was a day like nearly every other one this season.
Bad start. Nice comeback. Same empty ending.
Rich Aurilia hit a three-run homer, and the surging Cincinnati Reds took advantage of an inning full of Pirates slapstick and held on for an 11-9 victory Saturday, extending Pittsburgh's worst start in 32 years.
"It was not my day," said left-hander Oliver Perez (0-1), who put the Pirates behind in the first inning and set them on course for their latest loss. "I'll try to forget this game."
So far, the Pirates' season is one bad memory.
Pittsburgh is 0-6 for the first time since 1974. The franchise record for season-opening futility is an 0-8 mark in 1955.
Dubious distinction
The Pirates and the Phillies are the last winless teams in the majors -- Philadelphia remained 0-4 after its game was rained out Saturday. Pittsburgh already trails Milwaukee by 5 1/2 games in the NL Central.
The Pirates scored three times in the ninth to make it closer, with Freddy Sanchez sparking the rally with a two-run single. Rick White got Jose Castillo to ground out with Sanchez on second base to finish it off and get his first save since June 23.
All three games against Cincinnati have followed the same pattern.
"Each and every time we creep back into the game, it's followed by additional runs on the other side of the field," manager Jim Tracy lamented. "You're trying to get back into the game three and four times a day, and that's tough to do."
Since opening the season with an embarrassing 16-7 loss to the Cubs after President Bush's first pitch, Cincinnati has won four in a row. The Reds have scored 39 runs in their five games, more than enough to win even a smidgen of good pitching.
"With the offense we have, all you have to worry about is [making] your pitches," said Aaron Harang (1-1), who rebounded from his rough opening day start. "We know the offense is going to score."
Aurilia broke an 0-for-12 slump with a three-run homer in the second off Perez, who had a rare off game against Cincinnati. The left-hander had fanned at least 10 batters in five of his 12 career starts against the Reds, but never looked comfortable in this one.
Decisive inning
Ken Griffey Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk from Perez in the decisive fourth inning for the 1,540th RBI of his career, tying Pittsburgh's Willie Stargell for 30th on the career list, which includes games since 1920.
Griffey's four-pitch walk was part of a slapstick inning that ultimately was the Pirates' downfall. Austin Kearns led off with his first homer, and the Pirates kept it going with a series of gaffes.
Perez dropped Harang's soft comeback grounder for an error, and the Reds scored on Griffey's walk, a passed ball and a wild pitch, making it 8-3 and setting the Pirates on course for another loss.
"Everybody knows it's how you finish, not how you start," said Perez, who gave up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings. "We're not winning now, so we're going to forget this game. We know we can start winning games. It's part of baseball. This happens to the good teams."
Harang matched his career high with 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings, fanning Jeromy Burnitz three times. Castillo had three of the Pirates' eight hits off Harang, including a two-run homer and an RBI single.
For the Reds, Ryan Freel singled three times, walked, stole two bases and scored three runs, while Felipe Lopez singled twice, walked and scored twice. Kearns, batting seventh, had a single, a double and a homer.
PITTSBURGHCINCINNATI
abrhbiabrhbi
Duffy cf5110Freel 2b4331
JWilsn ss4122FLopez ss4220
Casey 1b5110Grf Jr. cf4001
Bay lf4330Aurilia 1b4123
Burnitz rf4000Dunn lf3001
Grabow p0000CHmnd p0000
JHrndz ph1000RiWhte p0000
Snchez 3b5133EEcrcn 3b4110
Castillo 2b4233Kearns rf5231
Cota c2000Vlentin c4112
Vglsng p0000Harang p2100
McLth ph1000Burns p0000
STorres p0000Abad ph1000
CWilsn rf1000Belisle p0000
OlPrez p1000Dnorfia lf0000
Doumit c3000
Totals409138Totals3511129
Pittsburgh020100213--9
Cincinnati30140030x--11
E--OlPerez (1). LOB--Pittsburgh 7, Cincinnati 8. 2B--Duffy (1), JWilson (2), Bay (1), Sanchez 2 (2), Kearns (4), Valentin (1). HR--Castillo (1), Aurilia (2), Kearns (1). SB--Freel 2 (5), FLopez (1). S--Harang. SF--Dunn.
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
OlPerez L,0-13 1-368542
Vogelsong2 2-320012
STorres143301
Grabow100011
Cincinnati
Harang W,1-16 2-3855010
Burns1-310001
Belisle111122
CHammond1-323310
RiWhite S,1 2-310001
WP--Vogelsong, Belisle. PB--Doumit. Balk--RiWhite. Umpires--Home, Larry Poncino; First, Bruce Dreckman; Second, Ed Hickox; Third, Gary Darling. T--3:15. A--20,244.