"Edinson Volquez was his typically smiling, jovial self as he walked across the green outfield grass at Maryvale Baseball Park Sunday.

Mostly, Volquez was glad that his bout of wildness had just come in a Cactus League game and not the regular season. The visiting Reds beat Milwaukee 9-8 but Volquez lasted only 2 1/3 innings, as he allowed five walks and five runs.

Volquez and the Reds will face the Brewers for real March 31, on Opening Day. The good news for Reds fans Sunday was that Volquez reported no physical trouble, a day after fellow right-hander Johnny Cueto exited a game with a biceps ailment.

As Volquez crossed the outfield and headed toward the team bus after Sunday's game, he stopped to chat with Reds beat reporters.

"My arm is fine. Everything was good," Volquez said. "(There was) a little bit of a problem with control. It's nothing but mechanical. I was just jumping from the rubber to home plate."

Volquez actually sailed through his first two innings, then ran into trouble in the third.

Volquez allowed a walk, a one-out single and then started loading the bases with walks, finally being pulled after walking three consecutive hitters. The last two of those were sluggers Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.

"Just that one inning," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Everything was great, but then he got behind ... and you don't make a pitch here or there, and the next thing you know you've gottext ignoredBraun and Fielder and Casey McGehee up there.

"When you're facing a good offensive lineup, you want them to earn their way on with hits versus walks, because they can certainly put some runs up there in a hurry like they did today.""