Pokey Reese falls to his knees in pain after being hit by a pitch by Colorado Rockies pitcher Rolando Arrojo in the second inning. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        DENVER — The frightening-looking injuries suffered by Reds second baseman Pokey Reese (left elbow) and outfielder Alex Ochoa (left hamstring) might not be as extreme as they looked.

        Reese suffered a bruise on his elbow, officially called a “contusion,” when Colorado Rockies starter Rolando Arrojo hit him with a third-inning pitch. Reese stayed in the game until Chris Stynes replaced him in the bottom of the fifth inning.

        “It's stiff right now,” Reese said after the game. But, he added, “I should be able to play (tonight).”

        “He could have stayed in the game,” manager Jack McKeon said. “We wanted to get the swelling out of it so it doesn't hinder him.”

        Ochoa suffered a mild hamstring strain while sprinting to first base in the ninth inning as he tried to beat out a comebacker to Colorado relief pitcher David Lee. Ochoa, who was stricken halfway up the first-base line, hobbled the rest of the way to the bag and reached base safely only because Lee made a wild throw.

        “I don't think it was as bad as it looked,” McKeon said.

        BELL'S SWELL: Happy to be managing again — “I've still got a uniform on,” he said with a wide smile — Colorado's Buddy Bell still wished his team could have fared better on its six-game, season-opening road trip.

        The Rockies went 2-4 on the trip, losing twice by one run, once by two runs and dropping a 9-6 decision at Atlanta after leading 6-2.

        “The frustrating part is, we were in all those games,” said Bell, the Cincinnati native and ex-Red. “But I'm enjoying it. Everything's fine.”

        FOND HELLOS: Rockies outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds spent a lot of pregame time exchanging pleasantries with his former Cincinnati teammates. Reese and Dmitri Young are among the Reds who credited Hammonds, sent to Colorado in last October's Dante Bichette trade, with strengthening team camaraderie.

        Hammonds, who joined the Reds late in the 1998 season, deflected the praise.

        “We all did it together,” he said. “We had fun as a team and a family. There's no credit to be given other than to the team itself.”

        MEET THE MATMEN: With nothing better to do, injured Reds first baseman Sean Casey chatted during batting practice with wrestling stars Goldberg and Rick Steiner. Casey and several teammates, including Reese, Young, Aaron Boone and Pete Harnisch, are fans.

        Asked if he risked re-injuring his broken right thumb while shaking hands with men of such crushing strength, Casey said, “I went with the left hand.”

        By the way, Casey is expected to begin hitting off a tee later this week and could begin taking live batting practice as early as Sunday.

        CHARLTON'S BACK: Norm Charlton, a Red from 1988-92, has rejoined the organization by signing a contract with Triple-A Louisville, where he will report on Wednesday.

        Charlton, 37, had no record with a 4.00 ERA in 10 spring-training appearances with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who released him shortly before the season began.

        ETC.: Colorado's Larry Walker snapped an 0-for-14 slump with a third-inning infield hit, beating out a dribbler in front of home plate. The 1997 National League Most Valuable Player added a pair of singles.

        • The Coors Field crowd of 48,094 set a Rockies Opening Day record, while the figure of 50,427 tickets distributed established a regular-season franchise mark.

        UP NEXT: A couple of survivors from the Reds' epic 24-12 Coors Field victory last May 19 oppose each other tonight at 9:05. Ron Villone (1-0), who earned a three-inning save that afternoon, will start for the Reds while Colorado counters with Brian Bohanon (0-0), who received no decision despite allowing seven earned runs and 10 hits in 2ö innings.

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