One person unfazed by the 11-14 record through Sunday is manager Bryan Price, who has not yet enjoyed a winning record in his first season as manager.
Price said the sweep, “really doesn’t say a whole lot about anything. We play 162 games. Everyone wrote the Dodgers off last year, and then they go crazy in the summertime. Oakland used to do it all the time when I was in Seattle. Then after the All-Star break, they’d beat everybody and find their way to the playoffs.”
The Reds aren’t too far off the pace of recent seasons. They started 13-12 in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2009. They were 12-13 in 2010.
The hot start of the Brewers, who visit Great American Ball Park for a four-game series starting Thursday, makes this start look worse. Milwaukee (18-7) had baseball’s best record going into Monday.
“Baseball, it’s the same thing every year,” Price said. “Guess who the best teams are. Say who the disappointments are in April. It’s ridiculous. My feeling is let’s play 162 and see where we are at at the end of things.”
Cueto's dominance: Johnny Cueto threw eight scoreless innings Sunday in a 1-0, 10-inning loss to the Braves. Through Sunday, Cueto ranked first in Major League Baseball with 47 innings pitched, second in ERA (1.15) behind former Red and current Brave Aaron Harang (0.85 ERA) and second in strikeouts (50) behind the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (53).
“He’s been impressive,” Reds catcher Brayan Pena said. “I think the main reason is because he’s healthy. He’s one of those guys when he’s healthy, great things happen. He’s getting older — I’m not going to say he’s old — but he’s maturing, and he’s become one of the best players in baseball in general. The fact hat he’s using all his pitches, that gives him a lot of leverage.
Injury updates: Utility man Skip Schumaker took the next step in his comeback from a dislocated left shoulder Monday, making a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. Schumaker spent the weekend playing in extended spring training games in Goodyear, Ariz.
“I think he got 18 or 19 at-bats over two days down in Arizona leading off every inning,” Price said. “He saw a lot of pitches, got a lot of at-bats. He feels anxious to be playing. He’d like to speed up his rehab schedule. I think game situations and things of that nature are really going to help him.”
Closer Aroldis Chapman is scheduled to throw another simulated game today. He threw 43 pitches over two innings to live batting practice Saturday as he recovers from eye and nose fractures and a concussion.
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