Mates bounce up to back Renteria

NEW YORK -- Matt Clement and many of the Red Sox were quick to come to the defense of Edgar Renteria yesterday, following another challenging game for the new Sox shortstop.

Renteria went 0 for 4, as he did in the opener, and made a costly third-inning error, allowing an Alex Rodriguez two-hopper to carom off the heel of his glove into the outfield. Rodriguez later scored on Hideki Matsui's two-run homer in a three-run Yankee third.

"He doesn't have to say anything," Clement said, when asked if Renteria apologized to him. "When I was on the Cubs, that was the one shortstop I wanted to play with. He's going to make a lot of plays that will overshadow that one."

In two games, Renteria is 0 for 8, has struck out twice, grounded into two double plays, and gotten the ball out of the infield just once, lining to center yesterday in his second at-bat against righthander Carl Pavano.

Renteria hit second Sunday vs. lefty Randy Johnson, then batted sixth yesterday. It was expected that he'd hit fifth or sixth vs. righthanded pitchers, flip-flopping with Kevin Millar. Yesterday, manager Terry Francona acknowledged he batted Renteria sixth because "Kevin Millar's been through the whole Yankee thing."

Renteria, meanwhile, said the A-Rod grounder bounced up on him. At the plate, he said, "The first hit, and everything will come."

Said captain Jason Varitek: "We're not down on him, in any way, shape, or form. He's worked his tail off all spring. It wasn't a routine play. It took a tough hop.

"He will [adjust]. We're all behind him. Period. As long as he knows that and understands it, he'll be fine.

Money ball
Major League Baseball teams raised prices by an average of 6.3 percent this season, the biggest hike since 2000, according to Team Marketing Report. The average ticket costs $21.17, up from $19.91 in 2004.

At $44.56, the Sox own baseball's highest average ticket price for the eighth straight season. That is 9.3 percent higher than last season. The Sox were followed by the Cubs ($32) and Yankees ($27.34). Tampa Bay ($13.70) and Kansas City ($13.71) have baseball's most affordable average ticket.

The Expos last season had baseball's cheapest ticket at $10.82. This season, reborn as the Washington Nationals, that organization's average ticket at RFK Stadium costs $21.43.

Gun control
The Yankees this season are displaying the velocity of pitches on the outfield scoreboard. Last season ESPN aired a segment detailing how a Yankees employee held a radar gun in the stands and used signals to convey pitch speeds to Derek Jeter while he was in the on-deck circle. Yesterday's New York Times reported that the Sox and potentially other teams complained about it. Sox general manager Theo Epstein yesterday said the Sox did not complain but said there is a rule forbidding communication between someone in the stands and someone on the field . . . Following today's series finale Curt Schilling, pitching coach Dave Wallace, and assistant trainer Chris Correnti will fly to Indianapolis. Schilling will start tomorrow in Pawtucket's season opener and is expected to go deep into the game. "One hundred [pitches] is a pretty legit number," Francona said. Schilling will make his season debut a week from today vs. the Yankees at Fenway . . . Manny Ramirez went 0 for 4 and is now 0 for 8 with four strikeouts. "Yeah, and that won't last a whole lot longer," Francona said.

Another one in Florida
Wade Miller lobbied to pitch tomorrow in a Single A game but lost that fight. He instead will pitch in an extended spring training game in Fort Myers, Fla. "We think it's probably in his best interest to go one more outing where it's a little bit more of a controlled atmosphere," Francona said. Miller will throw four 15-pitch innings. Miller, who missed half of last season with a frayed rotator cuff, wants to pitch for the Sox before the end of the month. At this rate he could make three rehab starts and enter the rotation April 27. Four rehab starts would put him on track to debut May 2. Still, that presumes no setbacks . . . David Ortiz's sixth-inning single was his 700th career hit. He also homered in the fourth . . . MLB drew more than 3.4 million fans to spring training games this year, eclipsing the 3.33 million that turned out in 1994 . . . Commissioner Bud Selig sat in Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's box. Selig will be at Fenway Park Monday for the Sox' home opener . . . Mark Bellhorn, who set a club record with 177 strikeouts last season, whiffed twice more, bringing his two-game total to five . . . By starting David Wells and Clement, the Sox became the first team ever to win the World Series and start two new pitchers in the first two games of the following season . . . The Sox are two games under .500 for the first time since April 9, 2000.