LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - Andy Dirks had the big hit for the Tigers. Manager Jim Leyland, though, was most impressed with Brennan Boesch's at-bat.

Dirks hit a two-run triple in the ninth inning, giving the Detroit Tigers a 2-1 victory over a split squad of Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

Dirks' winning hit came off Arodys Vizcaino after singles by Brennan Boesch and Scott Sizemore.

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``The key to that inning was the at-bat Boesch had, fighting that guy off,' Leyland said. ``I like the way he battled and got on base. That's very big. I thought it was a great at-bat.'

Atlanta led, 1-0, when Arodys Vizcaino got the first out in the bottom of the ninth, but Boesch drove a single to center field, his second straight hit.

``I looked up (at the scoreboard) and I think he hit 99 (mph) against me. He was bringing a pretty firm fastball,' Boesch said. ``He threw a couple good sliders that I fouled off and then he threw a fastball that he left out over the plate that I could hit.'

Sizemore followed with another single and Dirks, who is hitting .354 this spring, ended the game with a triple in the gap.

Beachy, bidding for a spot in Atlanta's pitching rotation, was nearly perfect after giving up a couple of first-inning walks.

``He was was scheduled to go six, but he wound up going five,' Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ``I think he got to 87 pitches.

``The first inning there was a little adversity, but he got out of it against some pretty good hitters,' Gonzalez said. ``And that's the kind of stuff you want to see in a young pitcher.'

Jordan Schafer led off the game with a triple and scored the Braves' only run.

Rick Porcello pitched 4 2-3 innings for the Tigers, giving up three hits including Alex Gonzalez's single that drove in Schafer.

Daniel Schlereth worked two perfect innings of relief for Detroit. NOTES: The Tigers optioned pitchers Charlie Furbush and Alberto Alburquerque to Toledo and reassigned infielder Argeniz Diaz and first baseman Scott Thorman to their minor league camp.