Enquirer staff and wire services

Kenny Lofton singled in his first at-bat with the Pittsburgh Pirates and later walked and scored a run Thursday during a 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Lofton, 35, agreed to $1,025,000, one-year contract last Friday. He had played in three minor league games before making his debut with the major league club.

"My legs aren't exactly where I want them to be, but it's normal," said Lofton, who had been working out on his own.

Lofton and the Pirates faced a lineup of minor league pitchers, and none of them batted. In an unusual move, the managers agreed to use the designated hitter in a NL game.

Shortstop Barry Larkin was hit on the inside of the right elbow by a pitch from Pittsburgh's Joe Beimel in the third inning and left the game as a precaution.

Larkin had a small welt in the muscle about an inch below the crook of the elbow. He missed a couple of games early in March after he was hit on the same elbow during a game against Cleveland.

He was squeezing a ball to work the affected forearm muscles after getting treatment. He said it was Boone's idea to take him out of the game.

"I got some tingling sensations once again," Larkin said. "You don't want to develop any problem with the ulnar nerve."

Salomon Torres, one of the candidates for the Pirates' fifth starter role, gave up six hits and two runs in five innings. Nobody on either team had more than one hit or drove in more than one run.

The Pirates beat the Reds for the first time in five meetings this spring.

The arms: The Reds used five pitchers, all of whom probably won't make the Opening Day roster. Manager Bob Boone didn't want to expose his regular pitchers to the Pirates because the Reds open the regular season against Pittsburgh.

Lance Davis and Jeff Austin each pitched two scoreless innings.

The bats: Seven Reds had one hit each. Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn each drove in a run.

The rest: It was hot (86 degrees) and windy, and the wind was blowing in. Some hard-hit shots became routine outs, and two routine outs became doubles when the wind blew the ball away from outfielders.

Up next: The Reds play the Phillies at home at 1:05 p.m. today. Danny Graves (0-1, 6.91 ERA) faces Kevin Millwood (1-1, 2.25).

PITTSBURGH					CINCINNATI
	ab	r	h	bi		ab	r	h	bi
Lofton cf	2	1	1	0	Larkin ss	1	1	0	0
Rdman cf	3	0	1	0	Taylor rf-cf	2	0	0	0
Kendall c	3	1	1	0	Boone 2b	2	0	1	0
CWilson c	2	0	0	0	Castro ss	1	0	0	0
Giles lf	3	0	0	1	Griffey cf	3	0	1	1
Hyzdu lf	2	1	1	0	Darula lf	0	0	0	0
Rmirez 3b	3	1	1	1	Agbyni ph-lf	1	0	0	0
Btista 3b	1	1	1	0	Dunn lf	3	0	1	1
Snders rf	3	1	1	1	Gllen lf-rf	1	0	1	0
Barnes rf	0	1	0	0	Casey 1b	3	0	1	0
Yng 1b	2	0	0	0	Grrero 3b	1	0	0	0
Shelton 1b	1	0	1	1	Lopez 3b-ss-2b	2	0	0	0
Stairs dh	2	0	0	0	Larson dh	4	0	1	0
Mckwk ph	2	0	0	1	Pena rf-3b-1b	4	0	0	0
JWilson ss	2	0	1	1	LaRue c	3	1	1	0
Nunez ss	2	0	1	0	Miller c	0	0	0	0
Reese 2b	3	0	1	0
Doster 2b	2	0	0	0
Totals	38	7	11	6	Totals	31	2	7	2

Pittsburgh	002	200	030-7
Cincinnati	002	000	000-2

E-Lopez 2. DP-Pittsburgh 2, Cincinnati 2. LOB-Pittsburgh 14, Cincinnati 6. 2B-Dunn, Griffey, Sanders, Kendall. SB-Reese (2). S-Boone.

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Pittsburgh
Torres W, 1-1	5	6	2	2	1	2
Beimel	1-3	0	0	0	0	0
Herges	2-3	0	0	0	1	0
Reyes	1	0	0	0	0	0
Sauerbeck	1	1	0	0	0	0
Mahomes	1	0	0	0	0	1
Cincinnati
Davis	2	2	0	0	1	0
Williams	1	1	2	2	4	0
Watson L, 0-1	2	3	2	2	1	1
Austin	2	2	0	0	1	1
Randall	2	3	3	2	2	0

HBP-by Davis (Sanders), by Torres (Larkin).

T-2:48. A-4,582.