Players in Griffey Trade

Nick Masset and Danny Richar came to the Reds in the Ken Griffey Jr. trade.

Masset had a rough first start against the Boston Red Sox but a great play by Richar prevented it from being worse.

Julio Lugo singled up the middle to open the game. Masset fielded a comeback ball that could have been turned into a double play but Masset's throw was wide right. Richar tried to salvage the play by throwing to first anyway but it was too late to get Brad Wilkerson.

The inning turned nasty in a hurry. Boston scored four runs before the inning mercifully ended.

"I make those plays all the time in practice," Masset said. "I've made it 100 times in games. I let things get away from me. My nerves were a bit out of control. I needed to slow things down. I was trying to do more than I needed to do."

"He may have been over amped. He was throwing hard," manager Dusty Baker said.

Richar made a diving stop of J.D. Drew's ground ball between first and second and was able to force David Ortiz despite diving away from second base.

Richar was 0-for-2 with a strikeout but the defensive gem is the type of play that Baker is looking for.

The Red Sox battered Robert Manuel for six runs in the second inning. Manuel only lasted a third of an inning before Aaron Fulz stopped the bleeding.

Jared Burton was the bright spot. He turned in the first scoreless inning of the game in the fifth. Carlos Fisher also tossed a scoreless frame.

The Red Sox banged out 20 hits in taking a 16-5 verdict.

The Reds offense was missing against the Red Sox until the fourth.

Jerry Hairston Jr. walked and went to third on Joey Votto's single. Edwin Encarnacion delivered Hairston with a sacrifice fly.

Votto added a double. He has turned heads around the National League.

"Votto is way ahead of where he was last year," Baker said. "His confidence level is great. Guys around the league talk about him. Derrick Lee was talking to me about him this winter. Albert Pujols asked me if he could talk to him last year. I said 'go ahead'. Usually it's the manager or one of the coaches ask a player to talk to one of your guys."

Votto's double was to leftfield off a lefthanded pitcher.

"Joey's locked in. Especially, when he hits a double to left off a lefthanded hitter," Baker said.

Votto, Willie Traveras, Ramon Hernandez, Pedro Viola, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez and Hairston now leave to play in the World Baseball Classic.

"It is an opportunity to see some of the other guys," Baker said. "I'll keep an eye on the players that are going. I hope they play. I hope they don't appear on an injury report. I will talk to them in the morning. They came into camp in shape. They know what to do."