Reds’ Pokey Reese Is Certainly No Pee Wee

The Cincinnati Reds haven’t started a season this poorly in 36 years. And no shortstop has ever started one worse than Pokey Reese.

Reese tied an opening-day record for shortstops with four errors, helping the San Diego Padres and newcomer Kevin Brown get rolling with a 10-2 victory Tuesday.

Reese, who made only one error in his first 60 games as a rookie last season, made four on his first three chances as the Padres recorded their most lopsided opening-day victory.

“I’ve never had four. That was bad,” Reese said. “Hopefully I can get it out of the way now. I’m still shaking.”

Reese wasn’t the only culprit. The Reds did just about everything wrong as they took their worst opening-day defeat since a 12-4 loss to Philadelphia in 1962.

The bumbling began less than 24 hours after they traded scheduled starter Dave Burba to the Cleveland Indians for a minor leaguer in a cost-cutting move.

“Maybe it was first-day jitters,” Cincinnati Manager Jack McKeon said.

Brown tends to make other teams have days like that.

One of a dozen players peddled by the Florida Marlins after they’d won their World Series title, he gave up one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings and drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double. Brown has won eight consecutive regular-season games since last July.

Next Series for Dodgers

Who: Cincinnati Reds

Where: at Cincinnati

When: Friday, 4 p.m., Saturday, 10:15 a.m., Sunday, 10:15 a.m.