Livingston v. D-Kice a draw; Reds win 5-0

Daisuke Matsuzaka was very good for the Boston Red Sox Monday against the Reds. But Bobby Livingston was as good and a lot more efficient.

The Reds won 5-0. Craig Hansen gave up five runs in the seventh, due a major bout with wildness. He hit Jeff Conine to forced in a run, walked Brandon Phillips and Paul Janish to force in two more. Javy Valentin then doubled in two off Kyle Synder.

The game drew 7,663, a new record for Ed Smith Stadium. The old record was 7,659 in 1992 when the White Sox played here.


All of Japan must have been worried when Ryan Freel walked on five pitches in the first.

But Dice-K got Adam Dunn to fly out on a 3-0 pitch. The wind is really blowing in or the ball might have been in the left-center gap. The Reds didn't hit a ball hard off Dice-K after that.

Matsuzaka was very good: No hits, five walks, six strikeouts in five innings. He is a slow worker.

Bobby Livingston was as good: No runs, one hit, one walk, four strikeouts in five innings. His ERA is down to 1.23 over five games and 14 2/3 innings this spring. Got to like the 12 strikeouts vs. two walks. Don't know if he'll be the fifth starter but he was a pretty good waiver claim.

The media contingent on the field during Red Sox batting practice was about what you'd seen for a first round playoff game. Rob Butcher said he issued 200 credentials. Mind you a lot of those go to TV techs. But Dice-K rolls with a large caravan of media.