A bit of order is established

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The way they left you last October -- Manny Ramirez batting third, David Ortiz fourth -- is the way they will return in April.

Here in Camp Tranquility, the matter of who would hit third ranked as one of the most intriguing topics under the "To Be Determined" heading. Early in camp, it became clear that both Ramirez and Ortiz wanted to hit in that spot, protected in the lineup by the other.

After a couple weeks of deliberation, a meeting with Ramirez, a meeting with Ortiz, and a meeting with both Ramirez and Ortiz, manager Terry Francona arrived at his decision.

"It basically comes down to comfort," Francona said. "David likes to hit third. I think David understands this has a chance to work for us."

Ramirez declined an interview request yesterday. Ortiz, accepting but not overjoyed, said he'd deal with the decision.

"You know, I got no choice," he said. "I'm fine. The one thing, they got to get Manny comfortable. That's the main thing."

Asked if it was fair to say he set aside personal preference to keep Ramirez happy, Ortiz said, "Yeah," and left it at that.

Francona wanted this resolved so he could begin determining the rest of the lineup. He's decided that Edgar Renteria will hit second. That might sound like an obvious move, but Francona considers Renteria a poised run producer who could bat fifth or sixth.

Bill Mueller again will hit eighth. The most significant change will be for Mark Bellhorn, who will hit ninth. Of Bellhorn's 523 at-bats last season, 398 came in the second spot in the order and just 29 in the ninth.

"That's not set in stone," Francona said. "I haven't talked to Bell. Before Bell ever hits ninth, I'll talk to him."

The 5-6-7 guys -- Kevin Millar, Jason Varitek, and Trot Nixon, in some order -- figure to be subject to change through the season.

"Not daily, but we'll see how it goes," Francona said.

Francona is likely to make decisions based on matchups but will be careful not to stack lefthanded or righthanded hitters.

"One of the biggest things is trying to set it up so a manager can't come in and utilize his bullpen," Francona said. "You don't want Trot, David and Johnny [Damon] in one inning. That's the first thing I see when I look at a lineup."

The Ramirez-Ortiz dynamic is intriguing because Ramirez hit for a far higher average batting fourth than third last year. Ortiz hit for a better average batting third.

Inside track
Bronson Arroyo threw 64 pitches over 4 2/3 innings in a 6-5 win over Tampa Bay yesterday, allowing one run on seven hits. He struck out four, and in doing so showcased his commitment to throwing inside to righthanded hitters. To begin the fourth, he got the righthanded Josh Phelps looking with a fastball inside.

"A lot of guys were leaning out over the plate on me," Arroyo said. "I couldn't command the inner half [last season]. There's too many good hitters to focus on one side of the plate to get them out.

"It's just a mental thing. That side of the plate to lefties is no problem."

Arroyo said he's never had trouble throwing his four-seam fastball to the outside corner against lefthanded hitters. The difficulty has been throwing that pitch with conviction to the same side of the plate to righties.

Justin's time
Justin Sherrod, called up for the day from minor league camp, homered in the eighth, accounting for the decisive run. Sherrod was wearing No. 13, previously assigned to Roberto Petagine. The homer sent the scribes looking for a roster and the Sox home happy. The win snapped a five-game losing streak . . . Petagine had surgery yesterday to repair a partially torn meniscus in his left knee. Petagine, who was expected to contend for a spot as a lefthanded bat off the bench and a backup first baseman, will report to Triple A Pawtucket for his rehabilitation . . . Curt Schilling will throw a three-inning simulated game (20 pitches per inning) at 11 a.m. today . . .The Sox want Byung Hyun Kim on the mound, to audition him for a trade or to find out how he might fit into the bullpen if he can't be dealt. But Kim hasn't pitched since March 6 against Philadelphia, as he has been bothered by the flu for the better part of a week. He could pitch today, Francona said. In two appearances spanning 2 2/3 innings, Kim has allowed two runs on three walks and a hit.