By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reds manager Bob Boone figured Friday's night game with the Cleveland Indians - the opener at Great American Ball Park - would have the feel of a real game.

Austin Kearns is congratulated by third-base coach Tim Foli after hitting a ninth-inning homer for the Reds' only run. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

"Usually when you play these kinds of things, they're more realistic," Boone said.

If that's the case, the Reds are really in trouble.

The Indians touched up No. 2 starter Ryan Dempster for six runs on their way to a 6-1 victory over the Reds before a crowd of 40,888 at the ballpark.

Of course, no matter the feel, it was only an exhibition game.

"You play them for real, but nothing counts," Boone said.

"About the third inning, I said, `Thank God this is an exhibition,' " Dempster said. "This wouldn't be a good one to start off with."

Dempster had to be lifted in the fourth inning. He allowed six runs on six hits in 31/3 innings. He walked four and struck out two.

"I was just flat," he said. "I felt good. I felt strong, maybe too strong."

Dempster had pitched well coming into Friday, going 3-1 with a 3.44 ERA. He had walked only six in 181/3 innings before Friday.

The betting line on Great American Ball Park is it will be a hitter's yard.

Three home runs were hit Friday, two by the Indians. Austin Kearns launched one for the Reds in the ninth to keep them from getting shut out.

"It was hard to tell with the wind," Boone said. "But I still think it's going to be a hitter's park. The balls that went out were legit. They were all nailed pretty hard."

There were some real emotions in the game. Ricardo Rodriguez, the Cleveland starter, and Ken Griffey Jr. had words after Rodriguez knocked Griffey down with an inside pitch in the third inning.

After Rodriguez knocked down Brandon Larson with a pitch in the fourth, both sides got this warning: If anyone was hit by a pitch, the pitcher and his manager would be ejected.

"For me, nothing happened," Rodriguez said. "I was just trying to pitch inside. The ball got up. Sometimes when that happens, they get mad. I'm not perfect."

Griffey played seven innings and extended his hitting streak to six games by going 1-for-3.

He wasn't around after the game to give his version of what happened.

The Reds' relief corps was close to perfect. Kent Mercker, Josias Manzanillo, Scott Sullivan, Scott Williamson and Felix Heredia retired 17 of 18 batters over the last 52/3 innings. The only runner who reached did so on Felipe Lopez's error.

The relievers on the roster have allowed only two runs over their last 24 innings pitched.

CLEVELAND        AB  R  H BI  CINCINNATI       AB  R  H BI
 M Bradley cf      3  1  2  1  B Larkin ss       3  0  0  0 
 S Spencer 1b      2  0  0  0  S Sullivan p      0  0  0  0 
 O Vizquel ss      4  1  1  0  A Boone 2b        3  0  1  0 
 J McDonald ss     1  0  0  0  R Freel 2b        1  0  0  0 
 M Lawton lf       1  2  1  1  K Griffey Jr cf   3  0  1  0 
 J Gerut cf        2  0  0  0  R Taylor cf       1  0  0  0 
 K Garcia rf       4  1  1  0  S Casey 1b        3  0  1  0 
 T Minges rf       0  0  0  0  W Pena 1b         1  0  0  0 
 T Hafner 1b       2  0  0  1  A Dunn lf         2  0  0  0 
 G Sizemore lf     1  0  0  0  D Mateo lf        1  0  0  0 
 C Blake 3b        1  1  0  1  A Kearns rf       3  1  1  1 
 B Selby 3b        1  0  0  0  B Larson 3b       4  0  0  0 
 J Bard c          4  0  1  2  J LaRue c         3  0  0  0 
 T Laker c         0  0  0  0  S Williamson p    1  0  0  0 
 B Phillips 2b     2  0  0  0  R Dempster p      0  0  0  0 
 Z Sorensen 2b     1  0  0  0  K Mercker p       0  0  0  0 
 R Rodriguez p     3  0  0  0  J Manzanillo p    0  0  0  0 
 E Burks ph        1  0  0  0  F Lopez ss        2  0  1  0 
 J Westbrook p     0  0  0  0  K Stinnett c      1  0  0  0 
 J Boyd p          0  0  0  0  F Heredia p       0  0  0  0 
 TOTALS           33  6  6  6  TOTALS           32  1  5  1

 CLEVELAND                 114 000 000 --  6
 CINCINNATI                000 000 001 --  1

 LOB--CLEVELAND 6, CINCINNATI 7. 2B--A Boone, J 
 Bard, O Vizquel. HR--A Kearns 1 (2) (off D Baez), 
 M Bradley 1 (6) (off R Dempster), M Lawton 1 (4) 
 (off R Dempster). SB--M Bradley 1 (4). SF--C 
 Blake.
                                   IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
  CLEVELAND
 R Rodriguez (W,3-2)                7   4   0   0   2   1   0
 J Westbrook                        1   0   0   0   0   0   0
 D Baez                             1   1   1   1   0   1   1
  CINCINNATI
 R Dempster (L,3-2)             3 1-3   6   6   6   4   2   2
 K Mercker                        2-3   0   0   0   0   1   0
 J Manzanillo                       1   0   0   0   0   2   0
 S Sullivan                         2   0   0   0   0   2   0
 S Williamson                       1   0   0   0   0   1   0
 F Heredia                          1   0   0   0   0   1   0

 WP--R Dempster. HBP--A Kearns by R Rodriguez, M 
 Lawton by R Dempster. T--2:18. A--40,880.