The Reds sold only 15,729 tickets for their first home game since the city's rioting last week. Fans were asked to stand for a moment of silence before the game to contemplate the community unrest. The Brewers rode from their hotel to Cinergy Field in two buses.
Teams usually charter only one bus because a lot of players walk or take cabs to the ballpark.
The weather was a big factor in the Reds' smallest home crowd since Sept. 13, 1999. Sleet and rain interrupted batting practice and resulted in a 66-minute delay to the first pitch. It was 36 degrees when the Reds took the field, many of them wearing black head coverings under the caps to keep their necks and ears warm. Larkin, who missed the Reds' last two games with a strained left wrist, figured in all three runs as Cincinnati won its fifth straight. Larkin's sinking liner dropped just in front of right fielder Jeromy Burnitz for a double.