(Sports Network) - While it's no secret that most baseball players are more than fairly compensated financially for their line of work, the Cincinnati Reds' roster may want to get an overtime clause put into their next contracts.

While the Reds are trying to get on a roll and move out of the basement of the National League Central, their efforts to do so are often requiring more than the expected nine innings of work.

During a four-game losing streak from June 2-6, the Reds trailed 9-8 in a game against the Rockies before a run-scoring single by Jeff Conine in the ninth forced extra innings. Cincinnati went on to loss in the 10th frame, however, in Colorado.

The last two losses of the Reds' skid came against the Cardinals, but the club rebounded to win the series finale with St. Louis on June 7. Highly-regarded rookie Homer Bailey then made his highly-anticipated debut the following day and picked up his first major league win by yielding just two runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts over five frames of a 4-3 victory against Cleveland.

"Future and hope here," manager Jerry Narron said of Bailey on his team's Web site. "Shoot, everyone's been wanting to see him. We have. It was pretty good."

Bailey got out of the fifth inning by striking out Cleveland's David Dellucci with the bases loaded. He was lifted in favor of Mike Stanton the next inning.

"I think it was awesome," Bailey told the Reds' site of his reception in Cincinnati. "Especially after that last strikeout, when everything kind of shuts off and you can really hear it."

It was after that game that the Reds started working overtime again.

On Saturday versus Cleveland, Cincinnati held a 6-4 edge until Dellucci's two- run homer in the eighth inning. Neither team did anything else on offense until the Indians plated a pair of runs in the 11th for the 8-6 victory.

However, the Reds responded with an extra-inning win of their own in the series finale on Sunday.

Both the Indians and Reds failed to plate a run through the first 11 innings until Alex Gonzalez scored Chad Moeller with a single to center in the 12th frame for a 1-0 victory.

"They're not going to give up," Narron said of his club on its official Web site. "It seems like sometimes we have the heart ripped out of us, but we come back the next day and play hard."

The win improved the Reds to a still NL-worst 25-39 on the year, 9 1/2 games back of first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.

MILTON DONE FOR THE YEAR

The Reds announced on Monday that starting pitcher Eric Milton will have season-ending "Tommy John" surgery on his left elbow Friday.

Milton, whose surgery will be performed by Reds medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek, was 0-4 in six starts this year with a 5.17 earned run average before being placed on the disabled list on May 9. The left-hander is a free agent at season's end.

The Pennsylvania native signed a three-year deal with the Reds in December of 2004, but went just 16-27 with a 5.83 ERA in his Cincinnati career.

Also, left-handed reliever Eddie Guardado, who is recovering from his own "Tommy John" surgery that was performed in September of last year, threw a scoreless inning of relief on Monday at Triple-A Louisville.

Guardado has made three rehab appearances -- two with Single-A Dayton and one with Louisville -- and has yet to give up a run over three innings.

In other roster news on Tuesday, the Reds placed pitcher Jared Burton on the 15-day DL because of low back spasms and recalled pitcher Todd Coffey from Louisville. The club also activated Elizardo Ramirez (sore right shoulder) from the disabled list and optioned him to Louisville.

GRIFFEY WATCH

Ken Griffey Jr. needs just two more runs scored to become the 61st player in major league history to reach 1,500 in his career. San Francisco's Barry Bonds and Houston's Craig Biggio are the only other active players in the majors with at least 1,500 runs scored.

Griffey homered in three straight games from June 7-9 to give him 15 on the year and 578 in his career.

WHO'S HOT

David Weathers has 12 saves on the season after closing out the Reds' first game against the Indians. He then pitched a scoreless inning of relief in both of the extra-inning games in the series.

WHO'S NOT

Scott Hatteberg has just one hit in 19 June at-bats to lower his batting average from .310 to .277. He didn't start in any of the games in the Cleveland series.

UP NEXT

The Reds continue their nine-game interleague play homestand with a three-game series against the LA Angels of Anaheim.

Bronson Arroyo (2-7, 5.01 ERA) toes the rubber in the series opener on Tuesday against Kelvin Escobar (7-3, 2.76), while Kyle Lohse (3-7, 4.22) goes in game two against John Lackey (9-4, 2.60).

Bailey-mania resumes on Thursday in the series finale against Bartolo Colon before the Reds welcome in the Texas Rangers for a three-game series.