Enquirer staff and wire reports

SARASOTA, Fla. - Cory Lidle allowed five hits in four sharp innings, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 Sunday.

Dave Berg had three hits, including an RBI single in the third inning, for the Blue Jays. Tom Wilson added a run-scoring double in the eighth.

An error by third baseman Brandon Larson helped Lidle earn his second win of the spring. Larson, playing his first game in the field since straining his right rib cage March 2, threw away a slow groundball hit by Lidle, allowing him to reach second base.

Berg drove in Lidle to make a loser of left-hander Jimmy Anderson, who allowed one run on seven hits in five innings.

Anderson might be the lone left-hander in Cincinnati's starting rotation.

"He keeps throwing groundballs," manager Bob Boone said. "He's buying into what Gully (pitching coach Don Gullett) and I have been telling him, to become a sinkerball pitcher."

Lidle, acquired from Oakland on Nov. 16 for Michael Rouse and Chris Mowday, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning and allowed no walks.

"I used to be a low walk guy but a high hit guy," Lidle said. "Now I am a low walk guy and not a high hit guy. I'll have my days when I will walk three or four batters, but for me throwing strikes shows you are having confidence in your fastball and curveball for strikes."

Berg improved his spring average to .407 with five RBIs.

Ken Griffey Jr. failed to get a hit for the first time in nine games, but remains tied with Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols for the spring training home run lead with six. He is second to Pujols with 16 RBIs.

"I was pretty pleased with everything," Boone said, despite the loss. "We didn't get it done in some offensive situations."

Tim Young struck out Griffey with Gookie Dawkins and Benny Agbayani in scoring position in the seventh inning. Jeff Tam, Kelvim Escobar, Young and Tevor Miller completed Toronto's fourth shutout of the spring.

The arms: Starter Jimmy Anderson worked five innings, allowing one run on seven hits. Gabe White, Scott Williamson and Josias Manzanillo each worked an inning of scoreless relief. Kent Mercker allowed the other run.

The bats: Barry Larkin broke an 0-for-11 streak by going 2-for-4. Wily Mo Pena went 3-for-4The rest: Reds CEO Carl Lindner was among the 4,473 in attendance Sunday.

Up next: The Reds play a split-squad doubleheader. Danny Graves starts against Florida in Sarasota at 1:05 p.m. Seth Etherton starts against Detroit at 6:05 p.m. in Lakeland.

TORONTO					CINCINNATI
	ab	r	h	bi		ab	r	h	bi
Stewart lf	4	0	0	0	Larkin ss	4	0	2	0
Berg 2b	4	0	3	1	Dawkins pr-ss	1	0	0	0
Wells cf	4	1	1	0	Boone 2b	3	0	0	0
Wilson c	4	0	2	1	White p	0	0	0	0
Aven rf	3	0	0	0	Williamson p	0	0	0	0
Woodward ss	4	0	1	0	Agbayani ph-lf	0	0	0	0
TMiller p	0	0	0	0	Griffey cf	3	0	0	0
Fagan 1b	4	0	1	0	Larson 3b	1	0	0	0
Moriarty 3b	4	0	0	0	Castro 3b	3	0	0	0
Lidle p	2	1	1	0	Casey 1b	4	0	1	0
Tam p	0	0	0	0	Manzanillo p	0	0	0	0
Escobar p	0	0	0	0	Mateo rf	3	0	1	0
Thompson ph	1	0	0	0	Mercker p	0	0	0	0
Young p	0	0	0	0	Brown ph-rf	1	0	0	0
Alvarez ss	1	0	0	0	Pena lf-rf-1b	4	0	3	0
					Stinnett c	3	0	0	0
					CMiller c	1	0	0	0
					Anderson p	1	0	0	0
					Guerrero ph-2b	3	0	1	0
Totals	35	2	9	2	Totals	35	0	8	0

Toronto	001	000	010-2
Cincinnati	000	000	000-0

E-Larson. DP-Cincinnati 1. LOB-Toronto 7, Cincinnati 10. 2B-Guerrero, Wilson, Pena. SB-Pena (2).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Toronto
Lidle W, 2-1	4	5	0	0	0	2
Tam	1	1	0	0	1	1
Escobar	1	0	0	0	0	0
Young	1	1	0	0	1	1
TMiller S, 1	2	1	0	0	0	2
Cincinnati
Anderson L, 2-1	5	7	1	1	1	2
White	1	0	0	0	0	0
Williamson	1	0	0	0	0	2
Mercker	1	2	1	1	0	1
Manzanillo	1	0	0	0	0	1

PB-Wilson. T-2:34. A-4,473.