C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

Jay Bruce wasn’t in the mood for celebration or tooting his own horn after the Reds’ 8-7 loss to the Indians in 12 innings Wednesday.

Even though Bruce hit two home runs, passing Adam Dunn for the most home runs hit in a career at Great American Ball Park with 128, he wasn’t happy. The team lost, regardless of what he did. When asked what the record meant to him, Bruce said, “not a whole lot right now.”

The Reds lost their third straight game and fell to 15-25 on the season.

“I think the whole clubhouse has an expectation of themselves to come to work every day and prepare. It’s tough losing and having leads and losing them, it’s also tough when we don’t hit very well,” Bruce said. “It hasn’t matched up a whole lot this year. But it’s in the past and the only option is for us to go forward and no one feels sorry for us, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves and we just have to do better on both sides of the ball.”

Bruce was 3-for-4 with two homers, but was on deck when the Indians’ Dan Otero recorded the game’s final out.

Bruce put the Reds on the board in the fourth, hitting a home run off Cleveland rookie Mike Clevinger on a ball that just cleared the fence and a leaping Marlon Byrd in right field, an estimated 353 feet fro home plate.

That was his 127th home run at Great American Ball Park, which broke a tie with Dunn for the most home runs at the Reds’ home since 2003.

Dunn had 126 home runs at GABP from its opening in 2003 to 2008. Dunn also had 21 home runs at Cinergy Field, GABP’s predecessor.

“It’s kind of a cherry-picking kind of deal,” Bruce said of the record. “I think it means more that I’ve been on one team long enough to have the record at their ballpark.”

Bruce made it 128 at GABP in the eighth inning, hitting a home run off right-handed reliever Jeff Manship to start the inning and give the Reds a two-run cushion, that would later evaporate. That homer went to right-center and left little doubt off the bat, landing 413 feet from home.

Bruce now has 216 career home runs, seventh on the team’s all-time list behind George Foster’s 244. Dunn is fourth with 270.

Drafted No. 12 overall in the 2005 draft, Bruce hit his first home run nearly eight years ago, on May 31, 2008, against Atlanta’s Manny Acosta at GABP.

Clevinger was the 161st different pitcher he’s homered against and Manship No. 162.

Dunn’s now second in home runs at GABP, followed by Brandon Phillips (113) and Joey Votto (108).

“The record’s probably not going to stand real long,” noted Bruce, who has been subject to trade rumors since last year and has a team option for 2017. “Joey’s got nine years left here, so I’m guessing that he’s going to hold it here before too long. It’s good, I’ll take every one I get."