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CINCINNATI -- Dusty Baker came to town with 1,162 victories on his managerial resume. But Baker will have to wait a little longer for win No. 1 as skipper of the Reds. Thin hitting against Brandon Webb and a bumpy third inning for ace Aaron Harang ensured a downer of an Opening Day outcome during a 4-2 Reds loss to the Diamondbacks before a sold-out crowd of 42,498 fans at Great American Ball Park on Monday. "You want to start off 1-0," Baker said of his first game in Cincinnati. "It's always disappointing to lose. We'll get it together [Wednesday]. We'll come back smoking." The Reds managed just three hits in the game, none after Harang legged out a leadoff infield single in the fifth inning. With his sinker and changeup keeping everyone off balance, Webb (1-0) allowed two earned runs and three hits over his six innings with four walks and six strikeouts. Reds batters struck out 10 times overall. "He did his job. Give it to him," said second baseman Brandon Phillips, who went 1-for-4 with a triple that went as his team's only extra-base hit. "He's their No. 1 starter for a reason. He showed us today. We have to make sure we write down what he threw us this time, and then when we face him again later this season, we have to [get] him." It took one regular-season game before Baker had to take a player aside for a mental mistake, and it happened following the Reds' first hit of the game. In the third inning, Javier Valentin led off with a long drive to right field. Thinking the ball was headed over the fence, Valentin started in a slow trot. The ball landed short and rattled off the wall, and the Reds catcher was limited to a single instead of potential extra bases. "I thought it had a chance. Not today," said Valentin, who had another long drive to the wall caught in the seventh. The next batter in the third, Harang, did not get a sacrifice bunt down and struck out while attempting to bunt. Valentin would end up being stranded. His manager was left displeased. "Whenever you play close games, especially against these guys, you have to take advantage of almost every situation," Baker said. "Our pitchers bunted a lot, but they didn't see live action much in Spring Training. And I've addressed the other situation already." According to Valentin, it was a big 10-4 following a chat with Baker. "He's right. If I run right away, maybe I'd have a better opportunity to get a double," Valentin said. "That's not going to happen anymore." What's also likely to not happen often is Harang giving up two home runs and two walks in one inning. With one out in the top of the third, Chris Young lifted a 2-1 pitch for a solo home run to left field. There were two outs when a first-pitch fastball away trailed back in. Byrnes sent it into the left-field seats for another Arizona homer and a 3-0 lead. "Those two were the biggest pitches of the game. They cost me," Harang said. "I was just missing in that inning off the plate -- my slider and fastball both. Luckily, they were both solo ones." Following Byrnes' homer, Harang immediately walked back-to-back hitters but escaped without more damage. The Reds' ace retired the next 10 batters in a row. "His pitch count got kind of high in that one inning," Baker said. "He found the center of the plate, which isn't typical Aaron. He lost his release point very briefly and then got it back. The damage had been done." An unearned first-inning run accounted for the first scoring against Harang. Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion made a nice pick on Orlando Hudson's sharp ground ball but threw the ball high to first baseman Scott Hatteberg for an error. Two batters later, Conor Jackson rolled an RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 Diamondbacks lead. Coming off of a 59-minute rain delay at the game's start, the infield grass was soggy. Even though Encarnacion has a history of ugly throwing errors, Baker didn't deem this as one of them. "That's not a fundamental error. That was a physical error," Baker said. "At that time, the field was extremely wet. When that field is wet, you hate for the ball to be hit to you." A two-run bottom of the fourth against Webb got the Reds on the scoreboard. Ken Griffey Jr. drew a leadoff walk and scored on Phillips' RBI triple that got past Young in center field. Phillips scored on Adam Dunn's groundout to second base. "The only chance to score runs, we scored them," Dunn said. "When a guy like [Webb] is on, he's as tough as there is. He made it very tough. He's obviously one of the premier pitchers in the game. He doesn't give you much to hit. He's very good.

The Diamondbacks beat the Reds 4-2.

An unearned run and a late run given up by Jared Burton was difference.

Aaron Harang went six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits. He walked two and struck out six. Except for five batter stint in the third he was good. He retired the last 10 he faced.

Play-by-play:

D-Backs 1st: Orlando Hudson reached on Edwin Encarnacion's throwing error, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Conor Jackson's single.

Reds first: 1-2-3. Brandon Webb struck out Jeff Keppinger and Junior Griffey.

D-Backs 2nd: Perfect inning for Harang, two Ks.

Reds 2nd: They got a runner on via Edwin Encarnacion's two-out walk. But Webb looks sharp.

D-Backs 3rd: Harang struck out Webb, gave up a home run to left to Chris Young, got Hudson to fly out, then gave up a bomb to left-center to Eric Byrnes. Harang walked the next two hitters. But he struck out Mark Reynolds to escape further damage.

Reds 3rd: Javy Valentin hit one to the base of the wall in right to lead off. With Valentin's speed and the short wall it, was long single. Harang struck out trying bunt him over. Corey Patterson flied to short center and Keppinger grounded out.

D-Backs 4th: 1-2-3, quick inning for Harang.

Reds 4th: Griffey walked to start the inning. Brandon Phillips hit a shot to right-center. Young came in to try to cut it off. It got by him and to the wall. Griffey scored easily and Phillips ended up at third with a triple. Adam Dunn�s groundout got Phillips in.

D-Backs 5th: 1-2-3.

Reds 5th: Leadoff single by Harang. Great play by Hudson, great hustle by Harang. DP from Keppinger ended it.

D-Backs 6th: 1-2-3.

Reds 6th: Two-out walk from Dunn.

D-Backs 7th: Jared Burton pitching. He got two quick outs. Then Jeff Salazar turned on a pitch. It stayed just inside the foul pole in the right. Arizona 4, Reds 2.

Reds 7th: Norris Hopper was hit by a pitch with two outs.

D-Backs 8th: 1-2-3 inning for David Weathers.

Reds 8th: 1-2-3, thanks to a nice play by Hudson on Griffey's grounder.

D-Backs 9th: Francisco Cordero gave up a hit on the firdst pitch, then retired the side in order.

There was a 59-minute delay at the start. It was the first rain delay on Opening Day since 2000. The Reds had a three-hour delay that day. The game with the Brewers was declared a 3-3 tie. It was first delay at start since a 17-minute delay in 1991.

Nope, he will go with me the 19th, here are some more roster moves. On Monday, March 31, 2008, at 09:53AM, "MJ" <bigsteelerfan2@...> wrote: >Have fun Virgil. Taking the grandson? >MJ > Today the Reds placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to 3/21, RHP Matt Belisle (right forearm) and SS Alex Gonzalez (left knee) and, retroactive to yesterday, C David Ross (lower back); designated for assignment LHP Mike Stanton and LHP Jon Coutlangus; purchased the contracts of non-roster invitees C Paul Bako (#9), RHP Johnny Cueto (#47), RHP Mike Lincoln (#57), LHP Kent Mercker (#50) and OF Corey Patterson (#23)...another spot on the 40-man roster will be cleared after 1:00 p.m. today.

I am going that night too, I always go for Bronson's first game of the season. I sit out in right field. Virg. On Saturday, March 29, 2008, at 07:05PM, <Sportznut5150@...> wrote: >My 1st game on my package is wednesday , which includes bronson >pitching against dan haren i can't wait > > > >**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL >Home. >(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&ncid=aolhom0003\ 0000000001) >

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