Enquirer staff and wire reports

SARASOTA, Fla. - Dmitri Young had a home run and an RBI single Friday to help the Detroit Tigers beat his former Cincinnati Reds teammates 10-5 in a split-squad game.

At Fort Myers, the Boston Red Sox beat the Reds 8-5.

Starter Jose Acevedo looked strong early, striking out six Tigers in the first two innings, but then allowed a two-run homer by Kevin Witt as three Cincinnati errors led to five unearned runs in the third.

"I threw good," said Acevedo. "I tried to be more consistent. I wanted to throw a slider away to Witt. He surprised me. He usually doesn't hit it that way."

Acevedo was optioned to Triple-A Louisville following the game.

Detroit starter Matt Roney made his fourth spring appearance. Detroit obtained him from Pittsburgh for cash after the Pirates claimed him in the minor league Rule 5 draft this winter.

Roney (2-0) has allowed a home run in each appearance, including a leadoff homer by Felipe Lopez to start a four-run third inning for Cincinnati.

Reds reliever Scott Williamson tested the middle finger on his right hand, which was injured when he reached for a ground ball bare handed March 1. He pitched to four batters in the fourth inning and allowed the home run to Young.

Red Sox 8, Reds 5

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Kevin Millar and Doug Mirabelli each homered off Cincinnati reliever Kent Mercker as the Boston Red Sox beat a Reds' split-squad 8-5 Friday.

Trot Nixon also homered leading off the bottom of the first, and Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra added two hits each for Boston.

Brandon Larson hit a solo home run and Kelly Stinnett added a three-run homer for the Reds.

Boston starter John Burkett gave up two runs in the second but otherwise looked strong, striking out four, including Ken Griffey Jr., in four innings. It was his first win of spring training.

"I went a little backward with my fastball, didn't really have the location I would like to have, but my breaking stuff's getting better and better every time," Burkett said. "I really liked my curveball, my slider was probably a lot better than at any time last year."

Reds starter Jimmy Haynes gave up four runs in three innings and took the loss.

"This was his worst game of the spring, but this is about the dead arm time right now," manager Bob Boone said.

Boone was more impressed with right-hander Jeff Austin, who gave up one hit and no runs in three innings of relief.

"That's only the second time he's been on the mound this spring, so he did a nice job," he said.

Boston went ahead 2-0 in the first on Nixon's homer and a bases-loaded walk by Shea Hillenbrand. Cincinnati drew even in the top of the second on Larson's home run and Juan Castro's RBI single.

Hillenbrand and Jeremy Giambi drove in runs for Boston in the fourth, before Millar and Mirabelli homered off Mercker in the fifth.

Frank Castillo got the save for Boston, giving up one hit in two innings.

The arms: Jimmy Haynes, the projected Opening Day starter, gave up four runs on six hits in three innings against the Red Sox. Kent Mercker, who was having a good spring, gave up four runs on four hits in one inning. Jeff Austin pitched three innings of two-hit, shutout ball. In the Detroit game, Jose Acevedo allowed seven runs - two earned - in three innings.

The bats: Ken Griffey Jr.'s eight-game hitting streak was snapped in the Boston game. He went 0-for-2. Brandon Larson and Kelly Stinnett homered.

The rest: Gookie Dawkins made three errors in the Detroit game - thus the five unearned runs.

Up next: The Reds play the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Ryan Dempster (2-0, 5.40 ERA) faces Brad Thomas (0-1, 4.50). The game begins at 1:05 p.m. and is on WLW (700-AM).

Tigers 10, Reds 5

DETROIT					CINCINNATI
	ab	r	h	bi		ab	r	h	bi
Bocachica cf	5	1	1	0	Lopez ss	3	1	1	1
Easley 2b	4	1	1	0	DMateo 2b	1	1	1	0
Morris 2b	1	0	0	0	Guerrero 3b	3	1	1	0
Higginson rf	4	0	1	0	Williams p	0	0	0	0
Monroe rf	1	1	0	0	White p	0	0	0	0
DYoung 3b	4	2	2	2	Miller ph-c	2	0	0	0
Chapman 3b	1	1	1	2	Dunn lf	2	1	0	0
Lombard lf	3	2	1	0	Randall p	0	0	0	0
Eckensthler p	0	0	0	0	Dransfeldt ph	1	0	1	1
Pearson p	0	0	0	0	Guillen rf	5	1	1	1
MWalker ph	1	0	0	0	RMateo cf	4	0	1	1
Klassen ss	1	0	0	0	LaRue c	2	0	0	0
Halter ss	4	1	3	1	Heredia p	0	0	0	0
JWalker p	0	0	0	0	Smitherman lf	1	0	0	0
Perez ph	0	0	0	0	Pena 1b-3b	4	0	1	0
Santana p	0	0	0	0	Dawkins 2b-ss	3	0	0	0
Witt 1b	4	1	1	2	Acevedo p	0	0	0	0
Haselman c	4	0	0	0	Gubanich ph	1	0	0	0
Cancel c	1	0	0	0	Williamson p	0	0	0	0
Roney p	2	0	1	1	Stenson ph-1b	2	0	1	0
EYoung lf	1	0	0	0
Totals	41	10	12	8	Totals	34	5	8	4

Detroit (ss)	025	100	002-10
Cincinnati (ss)	004	000	001-5

E-Bocachica, Dawkins, LaRue, DYoung. DP-Detroit 2, Cincinnati 1. LOB-Detroit 7, Cincinnati 8. 2B-Easley, Dransfeldt. HR-Lopez (2), Witt (1), DYoung (1), Chapman (1). SB-Lombard (2), EYoung (1).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Detroit
Roney W, 2-0	3 1-3	4	4	3	4	2
Eckenstahler	1 2-3	0	0	0	0	0
Pearson	1	1	0	0	1	0
Jwalker	2	1	0	0	0	1
Santana	1	2	1	1	0	0
Cincinnati
Acevedo L, 0-1	3	7	7	2	1	6
Williamson	1	1	1	1	0	1
Williams	1	1	0	0	0	0
White	1	1	0	0	0	0
Heredia	1	1	0	0	0	0
Randall	2	1	2	1	1	1

HBP-by Randall (EYoung), by Eckenstahler (LaRue). T-2:45. A-3,391.

Red Sox 8, Reds 5

CINCINATTI (ss)					BOSTON
	ab	r	h	bi		ab	r	h	bi
Larkin ss	4	0	0	0	Nixon cf	4	1	1	1
Cruz 1b	1	0	0	0	Collier cf	1	0	1	0
Boone 2b	4	0	0	0	Walker 2b	3	0	0	0
Encarnacion ss	1	0	0	0	Merloni 2b	2	0	0	0
Griffey Jr cf	2	0	0	0	Garciaparra ss	3	2	2	0
Denorfia lf	2	0	0	0	Neives pr-ss	0	0	0	0
Larson dh	4	1	1	1	Ramirez lf	3	0	2	1
Casey 1b	4	0	0	0	Abad pr-lf	2	1	1	0
Bergolla 2b	0	0	0	0	Ortiz dh	1	1	1	0
Brown lf-cf	4	2	2	0	Millar ph-dh	2	1	1	2
Taylor rf	4	1	2	0	Snyder ph-dh	1	0	0	0
Stinnett c	2	1	1	3	Hillenbrand 1b	2	1	1	2
Perez ph-c	1	0	1	0	Zuleta 1b	1	0	0	0
Castro 3b	4	0	3	1	Giambi rf	3	0	2	1
					Brown pr-rf	1	0	0	0
					Mueller 3b	3	0	0	0
					Boran 3b	1	0	0	0
					Mirabelli c	3	1	1	1
					Smith c	0	0	0	0
Totals	37	5	10	5	Totals	36	8	13	8

Cincinnati (ss)	020	003	000-5
Boston	202	400	00x-8

DP-Cincinnati 1. LOB-Cincinnati 7, Boston 9. 2B-Ramirez, Ortiz, Hillenbrand, Giambi. HR-Larson (1), Stinnett (2), Nixon (2), Milaar (3), Mirabelli (1). SB-Brown 2 (3), Collier (1), Smith (1).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Cincinnati
Haynes L, 0-1	3	6	4	4	2	2
Mercker	1	4	4	4	0	2
Austin	3	2	0	0	1	1
Manzanillo	1	1	0	0	2	1
Boston
Burkett W, 1-0	4	4	2	2	0	4
Fox	1	1	0	0	1	0
Rupe	1	4	3	3	0	0
White	1	0	0	0	0	1
Castillo S, 1	2	1	0	0	0	0

HBP-by Burkett (Stinnett).

T-2:41. A-7,664.