Reds 6, Brewers 5

Adam Dunn violated the Pete Mackanin's one-game-at-a-time credo.

"We sweep these guys and the Cubs and you never know," Dunn said.

In National League Central, you do indeed never know. The Reds have won four in a row and are two games out of the third place. Friday night, Tom Shearn, he of the 12-year minor league career, outpitched Ben Sheets, he of the golden arm.

The Reds probably aren't going to catch the Cubs or Brewers, but it's beginning to look like they're going to avoid an awful September. They're 8-9 for the month. They're nine games over .500 under Mackanin.

The Mackanin Futures Line has to back to even money.

Back to Dunn, he hit a two-run homer he's up to 103 RBI, a career-high.

"That's exciting," he deadpanned. "No, 103 isn't a big number. I want to keep improving and have a three or four in front that three some day."