By John Fay
news.cincinnati.com

It was a somber clubhouse on Aug. 11. The Reds said what you expected them to say: There's a lot of season left. We've been resilient all year. Yada, yada, yada.

But from the looks in their faces, you had to wonder if they really believed it this time. The St. Louis Cardinals had just swept the Reds out of first place. Cumulative score in the three-game series: Cardinals 21, Reds 8.

By Mark Schmetzer / Special to MLB.com

CINCINNATI - Like Dr. Frankenstein sparking life into the monster in Mary Shelley's classic novel, Aroldis Chapman injected energy into a Cincinnati Reds team rendered virtually lifeless by Milwaukee left-hander Chris Narveson.

By Richard Dean / MLB.com

HOUSTON - At least in this game, the Cardinals scored.

Matt Holliday hit a two-run first-inning home run, but it wasn't enough, as the Cardinals lost, 5-2, to the Astros on Wednesday afternoon, putting an end to St. Louis' 2-8 road trip, which concluded with five consecutive losses.

After being shut out the first two games of the three-game series at Minute Maid Park, the Cardinals wasted little time scoring with Holliday's two-run home run, his 24th of the season, off Astros starter Nelson Figueroa.

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com

Things couldn't be going much better for the Cincinnati Reds right now.

They went a scorching 19-8 in August to open a seven-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, who just happen to be hosting the Reds this weekend. Since their disastrous series against St. Louis earlier in the month - the one some felt was a bad omen of things to come - they've gone 13-4.

As expected, the United States had little trouble defeating Iran in the 2010 FIBA World Championships, picking up an 88-51 win Wednesday morning.

Team USA improved to 4-0 and clinched first place in Group B with the win.

Washington High School star Cody Zeller will make recruiting visits to Butler, IU and North Carolina in October. Read the IndyStar story below. kh


Zeller sets Oct. visits for IU, Butler, N.C. - State's most highly-sought uncommitted recruit ranked No. 20 in U.S. [IndyStar Sports]

By Mark Schmetzer / Special to MLB.com

CINCINNATI - Jay Bruce started the scoring for the Reds. He also ended it.

Bruce homered to lead off the game, then drove in pinch-runner Brandon Phillips from second base with a single to left off Trevor Hoffman to give the Reds a 5-4, 10-inning win Monday night.

Juan Francisco tied the score with a seventh-inning pinch-hit home run, his first homer of the season and second of his career. The Reds have hit nine pinch-hit homers this season.

It wasn't pretty and it was far from impressive, but a 70-68 win over Brazil kept the United States unbeaten in pool play at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

Brazil's Marcelo Huertas missed a pair of free throws - one intentionally - and a contested four-foot shot by guard Leandro Barbosa bounced off the rim at the buzzer to allow the Americans to escape with the victory.

"I thought it was going to go in, I put a little spin (on it) and everything," Barbosa told the media. "It didn’t go in, but it’s OK."

It's two down with Brazil on the horizon for Team USA in the FIBA World Championships

The United States had little trouble with Slovenia, recording a 99-77 victory Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey. Kevin Durant led Team USA with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Durant played just 23 minutes as coach Mike Krzyzewski gave the bench players more court time.

By Jeff Wallner / Special to MLB.com

CINCINNATI - Reds manager Dusty Baker inserted Drew Stubbs into the leadoff spot on Sunday and then threw down the gauntlet.

"I gave him a challenge to score four runs," Baker said.

Stubbs scored three runs, each no more or less important than the other in the Reds' 7-5 victory over the Cubs before 30,809 fans on a steamy afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

The victory, coupled with the Cardinals' 4-2 loss at Washington, helped the first-place Reds increase their lead in the National League Central to five games.