by Dennis Manoloff, Plain Dealer Reporter , Plain Dealer

Mark DeRosa was handed a get-out-of-jail-free card Saturday night.

The Indians traded DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-handed reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named.

The transaction was announced shortly after the Tribe's 7-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said it was finalized during the game.

Nothing like the trade of a quality player to distract from another defeat. The Indians slipped to 31-45, last in the AL Central.

The Cardinals are 41-35 after a victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. They are nose-to-nose with the Milwaukee Brewers (40-34) at the top of the NL Central.

DeRosa, acquired from the Chicago Cubs last December, is batting .270 with 13 homers, 50 RBI and 47 runs in 71 games.

"You want to hit the rewind button here," DeRosa said. "You're disappointed. You come here with the idea of helping, and it just didn't work out. That's not to say this team can't go on a run.

"From a selfish standpoint, though, I get to battle for a division title again, and I'm in a good position with a great team."

The previous two seasons, DeRosa helped the Cubs win the NL Central.

As the Tribe continued to sink, numerous teams inquired about DeRosa, who can become a free agent after this season.

"Obviously, we felt the time was right to maximize the value that Mark had," Shapiro said. "This is a move that can help us this year as well as in the future."

Perez, 23, entered Saturday at 1-1 with one save and a 4.18 ERA in 29 appearances with the Cardinals. He had struck out 30 in 23 2/3 innings.

Perez began the season at Class AAA Memphis, going 1-0 with two saves. He did not allow a run in four innings of three appearances before being promoted April 15.

"He has swing-and-miss stuff," Shapiro said. "His fastball is consistently in the 93-95 [mph] range and has reached 98. He has a swing-and-miss slider. He has the potential to be a core contributor at the back end of our bullpen."

Perez is supposed to arrive in Cleveland today and likely will be activated Monday.

DeRosa's roster spot will be taken by infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, who ended a rehab stint with a game at Class AA Akron on Saturday. Cabrera has been on the disabled list since June 3 because of a left-shoulder injury.

DeRosa was busy making travel arrangements in the Tribe clubhouse as his now former club lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

Cincinnati (36-37) rebounded from a 9-2 pasting Friday night. It leads the season series, 3-2, entering the finale this afternoon.

Right-hander Tomo Ohka brought next to nothing to the mound in his third start with the Indians . He gave up six runs on eight hits in 4-plus innings. He walked four and struck out none.

"Tomo battled, he just didn't have the same command he had in previous outings," Indians manager Eric Wedge said in the postgame clubhouse.

Ohka (0-2, 6.00) is going backward. In his first start after two long-relief appearances, he gave up two runs in seven innings against the Cardinals. In the second, he allowed four runs in six innings against the Cubs.

While Ohka struggled, the Indians squandered opportunities against right-hander Homer Bailey, who was recalled from Class AAA Louisville earlier in the day. An elite prospect for several years, Bailey sneaked out of Progressive Field with a victory despite walking seven in five innings. The Indians had three hits and scored three against him.

In his only other appearance for Cincinnati this season, Bailey walked six and gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 7-6 loss to Cleveland on May 23.

Bailey had been 0-6 with an 8.41 ERA in his previous nine major-league starts. He had not won since Sept. 30, 2007, against the Cubs.

Ohka escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the first.

Mediocre pitches from Ohka in the second got smoked in rapid-fire fashion. The first five Reds reached with hits, four scoring for a 4-0 lead. It could have been worse for Cleveland, if not for Shin-Soo Choo's strong, accurate arm.

Hit-or-miss Jay Bruce led off with a homer, his 18th. He entered with a .209 average and 57 strikeouts in 70 games.

After Ryan Hanigan singled, No. 9 batter Paul Janish expertly placed a bunt near the third-base line. Chris Dickerson doubled to right to drive in Hanigan, and Jerry Hairston Jr. doubled to left to drive in Janish. Pitching coach Carl Willis visited Ohka.

Joey Votto produced a run-scoring grounder to first, bringing former Indian Brandon Phillips to the plate. Phillips flied to shallow right, where Choo made the catch and erased Hairston with room to spare. Credit Victor Martinez with an excellent plate block, regardless.

It was Choo's sixth assist.

The Indians put themselves in position to answer with authority in their half of the inning. Alas, they managed just one run.

Ryan Garko walked. Travis Hafner grounded sharply to Gold Glove second baseman Phillips, who opened his shoulders toward first in an attempt to snare a tricky hop. The ball shot under his glove for what was scored a single. Jhonny Peralta walked on four pitches.

Luis Valbuena grounded into a 6-3 double play, Garko scoring. Ben Francisco flied to right.

Valbuena did not have one of his better games. He went 0-for-4 and committed an error at shortstop. Valbuena is in a 1-for-18 slide to drop to .208.

The Reds made it 5-1 in the third when Laynce Nix led off with a double and eventually scored on Bruce's sacrifice fly to left. Francisco made Nix work for it with a decent throw home.

Hairston's double-play grounder gave the Reds a 6-1 lead in the fourth.

Grady Sizemore hit a two-run single in the fourth to pull the Tribe within 6-3.

With one out, Peralta singled. With two outs, Francisco and Jamey Carroll walked. Reds pitching coach Dick Pole visited Bailey. Sizemore laced Bailey's next pitch into right. Martinez flied out to end the inning.

After Ohka walked Phillips to lead off the fifth, Wedge signaled for Mike Gosling. Phillips was stranded, sparing Ohka another earned run.

The Indians' lineup featured Sizemore, Martinez and Hafner for the second consecutive night. Friday marked the first time they had played together as starters since late April.

Hafner is not expected to start today, part of his on-off schedule as he regains full strength in his right shoulder.

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