No gain on the pain

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Nagged by soreness in his right Achilles' tendon, Nomar Garciaparra was downgraded yesterday by a team source to "very unlikely" for Opening Day, making it all but certain that Pokey Reese will start at shortstop with Mark Bellhorn filling in for Reese at second base Sunday night.

Garciaparra has been taking batting practice and fielding grounders but has felt discomfort after relatively strenuous workouts.

"I think he felt when he went home [Sunday] night after doing some things on the field that he was a little bit stiff," manager Terry Francona said. "I think he's trying to use his head and not let this thing go backwards, because he's swinging the bat great."

Barring a sudden improvement, Garciaparra is not expected to see game action, even in the minor leagues, before Opening Day, which increases the possibility that he will start the season on the disabled list. Under baseball rules, he could be eligible to return as early as April 10 against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. In that case, he would miss five games, but Francona indicated it's difficult to predict how quickly the injury will heal.

"If he's healthy and he thinks he's ready to play," Francona said, "that's when he'll play."

Reese, a two-time Gold Glover at second base, is poised to start at shortstop on Opening Day for the first time since 1998, when he filled in for Cincinnati's Barry Larkin. Larkin also was sidelined with an Achilles' tendon injury.

"Am I the problem or what?" joked Reese, who uncharacteristically made four errors that Opening Day.

"I'll never forget that," he said. "It was just one of those days, a freak thing."

He has made only one error at shortstop in spring training. And though he and Bellhorn have not played much together, he doesn't anticipate a difficult adjustment.

"It's not going to take me that long," Reese said. "I'll tell Mark to get the ball around the bag and I'll handle the rest."

For Bellhorn, the Opening Day start would be the first of his career at second base. He has started only one previous Opening Day, at third base last year for the Cubs. He would be the 11th Opening Day second baseman for the Sox in as many years.

"That was my goal coming in here," Bellhorn said of starting at second. "I just want to get as much playing time as I can. It's a new team for me, so I've got to come in here and show what I can do a little bit."

Wakefield strong

Add Tim Wakefield to the list of Sox starters with nothing left to prove before the opener.

"I felt the best I've felt all spring," said Wakefield after he held the Orioles to three runs (two earned) on four hits over six innings in an 8-3 victory at City of Palms Park. "I'm ready to start the season."

Wakefield, who walked none and fanned four while throwing 90 pitches, allowed a two-run homer to Luis Lopez and a solo shot to David Segui. He will go four or five innings Saturday against the Braves in Atlanta in his final tuneup before he faces the Orioles in Baltimore April 8.

The Sox produced all the runs Wakefield needed in a seven-run second inning powered by Johnny Damon (three-run homer), David Ortiz (two-run shot), and Kevin Millar (solo shot). Manny Ramirez also knocked in two runs, and switch-hitting infielder Cesar Crespo maintained his hot streak, going 2 for 3 with a walk to improve his on-base percentage to .453.

Lefthanders Lenny DiNardo and Bobby Jones made late bids for a relief job by pitching a scoreless inning each. And Mike Timlin bounced back from surrendering grand slams in consecutive outings to pitch a perfect inning.

Time is short

Third baseman Bill Mueller, who has played only one game in the last nine days because of a sore right elbow, is not expected back until at least tomorrow. That would leave him no more than four games to prepare before the opener . . . Unlike Derek Lowe and Curt Schilling, who each recently chartered planes for road trips, Pedro Martinez plans to ride the bus more than 2 1/2 hours each way today to face the Blue Jays in Dunedin. A team official said Martinez will not grant interviews again until Opening Day. He was peppered in his last news conference with questions about the velocity of his fastball . . . Scott Williamson (two innings), Alan Embree (one inning), and David McCarty (one inning) allowed only one hit (off McCarty) in an intrasquad game at the minor league complex . . . Trot Nixon reported to the Miami Spine Institute to begin two weeks or rehabilitation for his mildly herniated disk . . . Righthander Jason Shiell was due to undergo an MRI after his elbow problems persisted . . . The Sox set an attendance record at City of Palms by reaching 111,624, with one game to go. The previous mark was 106,076 in 2001 . . . A group of pediatric patients from Dana-Farber attended the game thanks in part to Song Airlines and picnicked with a number of players, including Damon, Millar, Mueller, Brian Daubach, and Gabe Kapler . . . Richard Gralewski, 67, who suffered a heart attack in the stands March 5 and was rushed away by ambulance, returned to toss a ceremonial first pitch.