Mitchell Has a Slow Start

Making his first major league appearance in two years, Kevin Mitchell went one for five Friday in Boston’s 17-9 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Mitchell, who played in Japan during 1995--leaving abruptly in a dispute over a knee injury--struck out his first two times up.

“Every at-bat I felt a little better, but I could feel myself lunging at the ball,” said Mitchell, who signed with Boston last week.

“I haven’t hit against live pitching in about seven months.”

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Danny Darwin, 40, continued to be one of the surprises of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ camp, pitching four shutout innings in a 19-2 rout of the Cincinnati Reds . . . The Reds said reliever Jeff Brantley will be sidelined an additional four to seven weeks after surgery to remove a broken bone in the ball of his right foot.