By Joe Kay
The Associated Press

The Cincinnati Reds had little to cheer about Sunday afternoon, but Ken Griffey, Jr. flashed some spectacular glove work while running down a drive by Orlando Hudson to take away extra bases in the 7th inning. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

Kelvim Escobar pitched a four-hitter for his third career shutout and drove in a run with his first hit Sunday, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a rain-delayed 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Reds had an unannounced visitor - hits king Pete Rose watched the first couple innings from a seat behind home plate - and another tough time handling a Blue Jays starter as they were shut out for the first time.

Escobar (3-3), who lost his job as the Blue Jays' closer last month, allowed two doubles and two singles. He struck out a season-high seven and walked a batter.

Escobar hadn't pitched a shutout since Aug. 25, 2001, a 9-0 win at Baltimore that was his last complete game as well.

He also had an RBI single during Toronto's four-run second inning off Jimmy Haynes (0-5), who was expected to be the Reds' top starter.

The Blue Jays took two-of-three in their first regular-season series against the Reds, a regular opponent during spring training in Florida.

Rose attended his first game at Great American Ball Park, which was delayed 3 hours, 5 minutes by rain. Under the terms of his lifetime ban for gambling, the hits king can't get any special privileges.

Reds lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 behind the four hit pitching of Kelvim Escobar. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

He got into the ballpark with a $225 ticket for a seat behind the plate, and stayed in a private club during the rain delay, signing autographs.

Rose didn't talk to reporters and wasn't shown on the videoboard during his brief time in the stands, leaving most fans unaware he was there.

Haynes got hit hard again in his 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander has been sidetracked by a sore back, and his 8.91 ERA is the worst on the pitching staff.

In the last 22 games, Reds starters are 1-11 with a 7.35 ERA.

Greg Myers walked to open the second, Chris Woodward singled and Escobar hit a soft single to right with two outs for his first career RBI. Reed Johnson beat out a grounder for an infield single that scored Woodward, and Frank Catalanotto doubled for two more runs.

Vernon Wells tripled in the seventh and scored on Carlos Delgado's grounder for a 5-0 lead. Delgado was 5-for-13 in the interleague series with two homers and eight RBIs.

Escobar overwhelmed the Reds with a 98 mph fastball and exquisite control - 28 of his first 35 pitches were strikes. He fanned Ken Griffey Jr. in his first two at-bats, and Griffey had words with a few fans sitting in the first row by the end of the dugout.

Bench coach Ray Knight came over and talked to the fans, who were escorted away after an usher checked their tickets.

Notes

Escobar has six career complete games in 80 starts. ... Blue Jays pitchers had a hit in each game of the series. Roy Halladay singled for his first career hit on Friday, and Jeff Tam doubled for his first hit on Saturday. ... SS Felipe Lopez was out of the Reds lineup for the fourth straight game. He's in an 0-for-21 slump, the worst of his career. ... After learning he wasn't in the starting lineup, Reds OF Jose Guillen threw a couple of bats against the clubhouse wall, making holes. The Reds said he'll be billed for the damage, but not fined. Guillen asked for a trade after Griffey returned from a dislocated shoulder last month, leaving him a backup.

TORONTO (5) VS CINCINNATI (0)

TORONTO                ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
R Johnson rf            4  1  1  1   1  1   2  .257
F Catalanotto lf        5  0  1  2   0  0   1  .329
V Wells cf              4  1  1  0   1  0   1  .290
C Delgado 1b            5  0  2  1   0  1   1  .325
G Myers c               4  1  2  0   1  0   0  .364
O Hudson 2b             4  0  1  0   0  1   1  .287
C Woodward ss           4  1  2  0   0  0   3  .260
M Bordick 3b            4  0  1  0   0  1   3  .264
K Escobar p             4  1  1  1   0  1   2  .167

Totals                 38  5 12  5   3  5  14

BATTING: 2B - F Catalanotto (23, J Haynes). 
3B - V Wells (2, F Heredia). 
RBI - K Escobar (1), R Johnson (8), F Catalanotto 2 (35), C Delgado (67). 
2-out RBI - K Escobar, R Johnson, F Catalanotto 2. 
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - C Woodward 2, V Wells 1. 
Team LOB - 9. 
 
FIELDING: DP: 2 (M Bordick-O Hudson-C Delgado, 
O Hudson-C Woodward-C Delgado). 
 

CINCINNATI             ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
A Dunn lf               3  0  0  0   1  1   1  .211
S Casey 1b              4  0  0  0   0  1   3  .292
K Griffey Jr cf         4  0  0  0   0  2   2  .277
A Kearns rf             3  0  1  0   0  0   0  .283
A Boone ss              3  0  0  0   0  1   1  .259
R Branyan 3b            3  0  1  0   0  1   0  .200
J LaRue c               3  0  0  0   0  0   2  .261
J Castro 2b             3  0  1  0   0  1   0  .274
J Haynes p              1  0  0  0   0  0   0  .286
 K Mercker p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 a-R Taylor ph          1  0  0  0   0  1   1  .232
 F Heredia p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .333
 b-R Olmedo ph          1  0  1  0   0  0   0  .292

Totals                 29  0  4  0   1  8  10

a-struck out swinging for K Mercker in the 6th;  
b-doubled to right center for F Heredia in the 9th.

BATTING: 2B - J Castro (6, K Escobar); R Olmedo (2, K Escobar). 
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - S Casey 1. 
GIDP - J LaRue, K Griffey Jr. 
Team LOB - 3. 
 
FIELDING: Outfield assists - K Griffey Jr (C Delgado at Home). 
 

----------------------------------------------------
    TORONTO         - 040 000 100   --   5
    CINCINNATI      - 000 000 000   --   0
----------------------------------------------------

TORONTO                      ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
K Escobar (W, 3-3)            9       4   0   0   1   8   0   4.60

CINCINNATI                   ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
J Haynes (L, 0-5)             5 2/3   8   4   4   3   4   0   8.91
K Mercker                       1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   2.22
F Heredia                     3       4   1   1   0   1   0   3.00

WP - F Heredia. Pitches-strikes: K Escobar 110-72; J Haynes 109-64; 
K Mercker 1-1; F Heredia 32-21. 
Ground balls-fly balls: K Escobar 11-8; J Haynes 6-7; K Mercker 0-1; 
F Heredia 4-3. 
Batters faced: K Escobar 30; J Haynes 28; K Mercker 1; F Heredia 12. 
 
UMPIRES: HP--Tony Randazzo. 1B--Ted Barrett. 
2B--Lance Barksdale. 3B--Tim Mcclelland. 

T--2:22. Att--25,633. 
Weather: 62 degrees, overcast. 
Wind: 7 mph, out to left.