~ Cincinnati took over the National League Central lead after a two-game sweep of St. Louis.

CINCINNATI -- Adam Dunn glanced around the clubhouse and saw seven -- SEVEN! -- television cameras setting up for postgame interviews.

"We must be winning," he surmised.

Yes, the Cincinnati Reds are winning -- more than anyone else in baseball. A two-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals left them with the major leagues' best record for at least one bright day in May.

Hardened fans never expected this.

A 3-2 victory over the defending National League Central champion St. Louis Cardinals left the Reds at 19-8, their most stunning start since 1990. They opened 23-7 that year and led their division wire-to-wire on their way to a World Series sweep of the Oakland Athletics.

With the league's highest-scoring offense and an overhauled pitching staff, these Reds are starting to think that a playoff run isn't so far-fetched.

"We've finally got everything together," said catcher Javier Valentin, whose ninth-inning single Tuesday vaulted the Reds over the Chicago White Sox for baseball's best record. "We're consistent. We can play with anybody."

Their offense sure can.

The Reds led the NL in homers, runs, doubles and slugging percentage last season, and they are piling up runs at a prolific pace again. They averaged 5.0 runs per game last season, 5.9 so far this year.

No surprise there. Even with the trade that sent power hitter Wily Mo Pena to Boston for starter Bronson Arroyo, everyone knew this lineup was going to score runs. The question was whether the pitching staff could pull itself up from the bottom of the league.

So far, it has. The Reds' rotation is squarely in the middle of the pack, thanks in large part to the first major move by new general manager Wayne Krivsky. He got Arroyo from Boston on March 20, swapping some of the team's offensive surplus for what it needs most.

Arroyo is 5-0, ranks among the NL leaders with a 2.06 earned run average, and has gone eight innings in each of has last three starts -- the first Reds pitcher to do so since Jose Rijo in 1994.

Finally, the Reds might have an ace.

"He brings the personality of being on a winning team," All-Star shortstop Felipe Lopez said. "He has a lot of experience in the postseason, and we're feeding off that."

The lanky pitcher was initially upset by the trade, but has quickly regained his footing in the league where his career started. It's been no tougher than working his way through the American League East.

The Reds are off to their fast start without Ken Griffey Jr., disabled by an inflamed tendon behind his right knee.

The good vibes started in January, when local produce magnate Bob Castellini bought the team and promised a championship. He hired Krivsky as spring training was about to begin.

"It's only May," Dunn said, with some of those seven cameras rolling. "We started fast in the past. Hopefully we can finish a lot better than we have."