SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Bronson Arroyo wished his debut with the Cincinnati Reds had gone better: Six runs. Seven hits. Trouble throwing his fastball where he wanted.

At least, he didn’t get booed.

In his first appearance since he was traded by the Boston Red Sox earlier in the week, the right-hander struggled through five innings of an 11-9 victory Saturday over the Minnesota Twins.

‘‘I’m not pleased with the results, but I felt fine physically,’’ Arroyo said.

Five days after the Red Sox traded him for outfielder Wily Mo Pena, Arroyo felt a little out of place with his new team. For the first time, he threw to Jason LaRue, who quickly discovered that Arroyo likes to shake off his catchers’ signals.

‘‘It’s going to take us a few times to get on the same wavelength as far as pitch selection and our approach to getting guys out,’’ Arroyo said. ‘‘But it’s good to get out there with him.

‘‘The uniform didn’t feel weird, but having a different catcher back there and different surroundings did. I didn’t get booed on the first day, so I knew I wasn’t in Fort Myers.’’

Arroyo was shocked when he got word in Fort Myers that the Red Sox had traded him to a team desperately in need of a dependable starter. Manager Jerry Narron slotted him second in the rotation before he took the mound for the first time.

Arroyo wanted to stay in Boston, and signed a below-market, three-year deal last January for $11.25 million. On the day he made the drive up Interstate 75 from Fort Myers, Arroyo said the trade had left his brain scrambled.

‘‘I’m pretty cool now,’’ he said Saturday. ‘‘The first few days were rough, definitely rough. Once you get in a game and start playing with the guys, you get used to everyone around you and the personalities. It came together pretty quick.’’

The Twins built a 6-2 lead off Arroyo, who gave up a three-run homer in the third to Glenn Williams. Then, Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. led a four-homer comeback on a windy afternoon.

Dunn hit a solo shot and a two-run homer in his last two at-bats. Griffey, playing his third game since returning from the World Baseball Classic, hit a solo homer and a bases-loaded single in the eighth off minor leaguer Ryan Glynn that snapped a 9-all tie.

Twins starter Francisco Liriano, making his first appearance since pitching in the Classic, gave up three hits and a pair of runs in three innings. Before Liriano went off to pitch for the Dominican Republic, the Twins were considering him for the fifth spot in the rotation or a role in the bullpen.

Liriano is back, but the Twins are still trying to decide what to do with their top pitching prospect.

‘‘I don’t know what to tell you,’’ manager Ron Gardenhire said. ‘‘We’re going to try to make a decision here about what’s best.’’

Notes: Twins SS Jason Bartlett slightly strained a hamstring while running the bases in the eighth inning and came out of the game. He’ll be examined again on Sunday, giving the Twins a better idea of how long he’ll be sidelined. … The Reds signed OF Alex Sanchez to a minor league deal. The former Tampa Bay outfielder was the first of 12 major leaguers who got 10-game suspensions last season for steroids. … RHP Jason Standridge accepted outright assignment to Triple-A Louisville. … Arroyo’s spring ERA is 9.72. He has allowed at least five runs in three of his five outings.