Reds are Rolling

Consider this a sports merry-go-round.

I'm not surprised the Reds disabled reliever Aroldis Chapman.  They had to do something since he had been ineffective in his last few outings.  This is the second time he's dealt with shoulder inflammation this year which leads you to believe the organization is at least going to try to use him as a starter next year.  You want to protect the young kid's arm and so far he's shown an inability to pitch regularly as a reliever.  Using him as a starter in which he'd only pitch every fifth day would do that, plus it would also help the team get the most out of the six-year, 30 million dollar contract they signed Chapman to.

It's important Cincinnati finishes the home stand strong.  After Thursday's game with Pittsburgh they embark on a ten-game, ten-day road trip in which they'll play Cleveland (23-13, 1st AL Central), Philadelphia (25-15, 1st in NL East) and Atlanta (25-19, 3rd in NL East).  A 5-5 trip would have to be considered successful.  And there's no rest for the weary as the Reds come home for three with Milwaukee before a day off and then the Dodgers come to town.  The sweep of St. Louis was sweet, but it won't mean a thing if the Reds stumble during this crucial stretch.  Remember what happened to the Cardinals after they put the brooms to the Reds in Cincinnati late last year.  They left the Queen City in first place and struggled the rest of the way.

R.I.P. Harmon Killebrew.

Don't be surprised if Rafael Nadal's dominance in the tennis world is over.  Novak Djokovic is 37-0 this year, five shy of tying the Open era mark held by John McEnroe (42-0).  He won the 2011Australian Open and has beaten Nadal in all four finals they've played this year--including the last two tournaments on clay, a surface in which Nadal is 220-18 lifetime.  With the French Open less than a week away, it bares watching whether Nadal can re-assert his dominance or if we are seeing a changing of the guard atop men's tennis.