The arms: Elmer Dessens was much better in his second start of the spring. Dessens, the Reds' de facto No.1 starter, went three innings, allowing only a walk. Dessens allowed three runs in a 1 1/3 innings in his first start ... Danny Graves followed and retired all nine batters he faced ... The Reds didn't allow a hit until the eighth inning ... Scott Sullivan gave up a pinch-hit grand slam to Luis Rodriguez in the eighth. All four runs were unearned because of third baseman Mike Caruso's error.

        The bats: Jesse Levis, a 33-year-old minor-league free agent catcher, drove home the winning run with a ninth-inning single. Another free agent, Anthony Sanders, doubled home the typing run ... Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. each drove in a run with a bases-loaded groundout.

        The rest: Ranier Olmedo, Danny Graves and Caruso made back-to-back-to-back nice plays in the fifth inning ... A near sellout of 7,426 attended, many of them Red Sox fans.

        Up next: The Reds have split squad games today against Kansas City at Baseball City and against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium. Lance Davis will face Darrell May in Baseball City. Jared Fernandez goes against Salomon Torres in Sarasota.

Griffey back on the field Battle begins among future shortstops Reds 5, Red Sox 4 Reds notebook Baseball notebook

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