ST. LOUIS -- Lost in the hubbub of Colby Rasmus' past request for a trade before the July 31st deadline, and the newly dissected relationship between him and the manager is the second-year center fielder's role in the remainder of the season.

If the Cardinals are going to stop this slide and be a factor in the race this September -- a possibility dimming by the day -- it is going to have to involve Rasmus. And he's going to have to be productive as the team's No. 5 hitter.

You may have heard that before somewhere.

"He's the best fifth playce hitter we have," La Russa said before Sunday's game. "That's an important part of our offense."

One of the issues La Russa has discussed this past week about Rasmus' "maturing" as a player is the center fielder's propensity to force the power, strive for the homer and lose complete sense of his strike zone. La Russa wants him to be more aware of how he can help the team with his other talents, the other facets of the game. Witness the fifth inning today.

Rasmus, an extra-base threat like no other player on the roster fit for that fifth spot, doubled down the right-field line.

He tagged up and took third on a fly out by Yadier Molina.

He then scored on a groundout by Pedro Feliz.

Such is what the Cardinals' offense has been reduced to against Homer Bailey & Co. for the much of the past couple weeks: Productive outs. But this time it was Rasmus doing the producing around the outs.

Rasmus' run sliced the Reds' lead in half. Cincinnati has a 2-1 edge through 5 1/2 innings at Busch Stadium.

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