Ugly couple of days for your Cincinnati Reds, including Thursday, when the Pirates made it five of six against them so far this season.

And the lesson here is pretty simple: it's great to get worked up into a lather over sweeping the Cardinals. But every one of these games counts the same. Maybe it was a let down. Maybe it was Pirates Pitching that seems to have the Reds number this season.

But at the end of any season, they don't ask you who you beat. They only ask you how many you've got. At least that's how the Reds won their division last year.

And as we wait for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to rule on the legality of the NFL lockout, one word of caution to the NFL owners: you've won the latest round. Don't overplay your hand.

Even in the conservative 8th court, there are no guarantees you'll win the next round. And rather than wait on that, work even harder now to get a settlement. Don't just say you want to do it. Do it.

What good is winning the war, when you lose the peace?

Finally, a word about the whining that continues to come out of St. Louis. Give Tony La Russa credit: he said he doesn't believe Francisco Cordero was throwing at Albert Puljos Sunday. Of course he wasn't. Not with the tying and winning runs in play because Prince Albert got plunked.

But somebody should tell that to his leiutenant, interim manager Joe Pettini, who said it's always something when the Cardinals come to Cincinnati. Really? Like that deception a couple of weeks ago in St. Louis on a rain delay was the way to handle things fairly? Really?

Chris Carpenter didn't like the fact that fireworks smoke, after he allowed a home run, delayed the game. The way he was pitching, he should have welcomed the delay. Carpenter should be more upset with the way his right fielder, Lance Berkman played. The man behaved like it was his first day out of short pant.

The arrogance of the Cardinals franchise is forever astounding. They're good, just ask them and theyll tell you. The Cardinals win with style. They should learn to lose with grace.

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The good news is, Ryan Freel will be OK. He's sore tonight, after hitting into fellow outfielder, Norris Hopper and then slamming into the turf at Great American Ball Park.

But the heads up play of the day goes to Hopper. Replays show that Hopper, before the umpire arrived on the scene, put the baseball back in Freel's glove, as Ryan lie motionless on the ground. It appeared that Freel made the catch, anyway, as he took at stumbling step after catching the ball before hitting the turf. Though the TV replay didn't show it, the ball apparently fell out of Freel's glove, while his body sheilded it from view.

Fast one by Hopper, but quick thinking.

And this game showed what Kyle Loshe can be. He went the distance, throwing his fifth complete game of his career. But he'd lost his last six decisions, lasting only an out into the second inning in one of those games. In this game, he pitched ahead in the count, and won for the first time since April 15.

Here's a stat. In their last 17 games, the Reds are 5-12. Division leading Milwaukee is 3-14.