The Reds' bats are now also sleeping with the fishes.

In a classic case of man bites dog, it's the Cincinnati hitters, not the pitchers, that are primarily responsible for the Reds' recent swoon. Who'd have thunk it?

Thought to be the team's inherent weakness, the starting pitching has been boffo as of late while the offense has reeked.

To say that the batsmen are struggling would be an understatement. It goes well beyond that. They're absolutely frigid. They're in the tank. It's as if they've been embalmed.

How inept has manager Jerry Narron's lineup been? Just check out this stat. The Reds have scored one run or less in seven of their last 11 games. That rates as a bonafide slump.

The color of their uniforms now matches the hue of their complexions. The Reds hitters have to be red-faced over their recent efforts.

If you didn't know better you'd swear the Cincy bats had holes in them. Scoring runs has suddenly become more difficult than finding cheap gas.

As a result of their popgun attack, plenty of dominos have fallen. The Reds have dropped out of first place, lost six of their last nine and can no longer boast of not having surrendered a series at home. The fallout has been significant.

So why the cold spell? What's cooled down a lineup reputed to be one of the most dynamic in baseball?

Singling out just few guys is a bit unfair because everyone's had a hand in this slide but certain names stand out more than others.

Igniter and leadoff man Ryan Freel has really been fighting it. Having endured a lengthy slump, the speedy Freel is hitting but .223 and hasn't been getting on base. The Reds' inability to score early can be directly tied to Freel's lack of production.

The versatile Freel must shake himself and start setting the table for those who follow him.

Big bomber Adam Dunn is also scuffling. Sure, he leads the team in homers and runs scored but that anemic .221 average just won't do.

Dunn must be more aggressive early in the count and cut down on his swings with two strikes.

There's no excuse for a player with Dunn's eye, over 100 walks in the last two years, to hit so low. He is far enough along in his career that a .265-.275 mark should be his basement.

It's almost a certainty that if Dunn were currently hitting just 40 points higher, the Reds would have won a minimum of four to five more games.

Untimely injuries have also played a huge role in the Reds’ skid.

Catcher Jason LaRue is just now getting back into the flow after surgery earlier in the year but his bat is still in spring training mode. LaRue is currently hitting a modest .200 and his lack of production has weakened the bottom of the lineup.

Having just returned on Wednesday from the DL, Ken Griffey is in the process of honing his stroke although he did have a walkoff-homer against Washington.

You can bet the farm that "Griff" won't be hitting .234 for long but his absence has hampered the offense and made it easier to pitch around teammates like Dunn and Austin Kearns.

The Reds are also being extremely careful with Griffey, not wanting to risk overextending him. Hence, he hasn't been able to play for more than a couple of days at a time. That will soon change but until it does, the Reds will remain vulnerable.

Another player whose loss has been keenly felt is Rich Aurila. The veteran infielder is the consummate gamer and perhaps the Reds best clutch hitter. It seems whenever he needs to deliver, more often than not he does.

You lose that sort of dependability (.295) and it reverberates throughout the club. It has an effect. Aurila's return is essential to getting the team to percolate once again.

No one doubts that eventually the Red hitters will bust out of their funk. It's a given. There's simply too much firepower there to be stifled much longer.

The question is how much damage will take place before they do put it together and go on a roll?

This past weekend's power outage versus the Phillies was particularly painful. Outstanding pitching efforts from Dave Williams and Brandon Clausen were completely wasted. Just minimal support from the hitters would have resulted in two sure wins. Instead, Williams and Clausen had nothing to show for their efforts.

Frittering away standout performances like that can't continue. Not if the Reds fancy themselves to be legitimate contenders.

Past history says that this is merely a bump in the road and that the Red hitters will get going again and find their zone.

But until they do, their bats continue to slumber with the fishes. Right next to Luca Brazi.