Chapman Has A Stiff Back as Rockies Club Reds

Aroldis Chapman was scheduled to pitch four innings but a stiff lower back cut his outing short as the Colorado Rockies hit three home runs to beat the Reds, 9-1.

Manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Bryan Price could sense something was wrong when the phenom from Cuba, wouldn't throw his fabled fastball.

"He wasn't throwing his fastball," Baker said. "He was shaking off the catcher to throw his breaking ball."

Chapman said that he has had stiffness for a couple days and tried to work through it.

"I didn't feel it in the first inning," Chapman explained his 1,2,3 first inning of work.

"I couldn't work it out in the second inning. I've never had back trouble before. It was less effort to throw a slider than a fastball."

"In Cuba you're taught not to complain," said Baker, who is familiar with baseball in Latin America. "He didn't say anything to us but he was wincing."

Pitching coach Bryan Price went to the mound after Chapman walked two and another runner reached on shortstop, Drew Sutton's error.

"I went out to remind him that he has a good fastball. I told him to be more agressive. By the time I got back to the dugout, we saw him try to straighten out his back," Price said. "We brought the trainer out (Paul Lessard) to verify that it wasn't an issue. He said something about it and we took him out before it became an issue."

Chapman struck out Eric Young Jr. but Jordan Pacheco hit a three run double with two outs. Chapman left with a 2-1 count on Chris Nelson.

Bronson Arroyo pitched five innings, his longest outing of the spring. He allowed two home runs but felt that he was throwing better.

"I felt good. I had better command than the last few times out," Arroyo said.

Drew Stubbs had a leadoff home run off Colorado starter, Jorge De La Rosa.

That was the extent of the Reds offense.