In this case, change is good

SEATTLE -- Yesterday was Day 2 with the Sox' reconfigured lineup featuring Manny Ramirez hitting cleanup and David Ortiz batting third. The results: Ramirez's second homer in as many days and a homer for Ortiz.

''It doesn't matter where I hit," Ramirez said. ''I'm Manny Ramirez."

His braggadocio aside, the lineup change has, in short time, achieved a few intended ends. Ortiz saw good pitches to hit and felt added comfort going to the plate knowing Ramirez is behind him.

Ortiz had two hits yesterday, a single and a homer. Ramirez, meanwhile, was 3 for 10 in the two games with two home runs and four RBIs. Trot Nixon, dropped to fifth, is 5 for 7 since the switch with two doubles, a home run, a walk, and four RBIs.

Edgar Renteria, now hitting second full time, singled twice Saturday before going 0 for 5 yesterday with three ground outs, a strikeout, and a foul pop. That snapped his 10-game hitting streak, during which he hit .311 (14 for 45) with a .354 on-base percentage, lifting his season average 28 points to .258. The 0 for 5 dropped him back to .248.

''He's going to be fine," said Ramirez, who has counseled Renteria on adjusting to a new, tougher town. ''He was trying too hard. I told him, 'It's going to come to you. Slow [down].' I told him, 'Relax man, you don't want to put pressure on yourself because nobody is going to put pressure on you right now. People will see what kind of player you are.'

''He's going to be fine. He's going to hit .300, .290. That's a given."

Decision T.B.A.

Righthander Jeremi Gonzalez is listed as the Wednesday starter, though that is open to change. David Wells will throw what he called a ''light" bullpen session today in Oakland. After that, he'll talk to manager Terry Francona about the strong possibility of pitching Wednesday vs. the A's. Asked when a decision would be announced, Francona said, ''We can wait as long as we want. We want to make sure he's healthy. We're lined up for Jeremi. If and when we make a move we'll talk to David, talk to the trainers, then we'll announce it. There's no sense announcing anything before." Wells said he woke up Saturday, the day after his simulated game, feeling fine . . . Four of Ichiro Suzuki's 13 steals have come in six games against the Sox. The Sox walked Ichiro intentionally in the eighth inning yesterday, giving him a major league-leading eight intentional passes. Kevin Millar said Ichiro flexed when he got to first base and said, ''I'm like Barry Bonds." . . . Quite a scene in the fourth inning yesterday, when Randy Winn doubled to the right-field corner and Ichiro, running from first, was waved home. He was out by a good margin but went into a slide, popped up, and jumped over/around catcher Doug Mirabelli. Mirabelli had transferred the ball to his bare hand, and it wasn't clear on any press box TV replay whether he ever tagged the sleek Seattle right fielder, who was called out. ''I did tag him," Mirabelli said, somewhat unconvincingly. ''I just don't know at which point." Ichiro popped up and put a playful arm around plate umpire Bill Miller, half pleading for the call.

Suspension time

Bronson Arroyo starts today at Oakland, seeking to improve to 5-0 on the year. He'll begin serving his six-game suspension tomorrow, meaning he'll miss his scheduled start Sunday vs. Atlanta. The pitching matchups for the interleague series vs. the Braves Friday-Sunday at Fenway are shaping up like this: Wade Miller vs. Tim Hudson Friday night, Tim Wakefield vs. John Thomson Saturday, Matt Clement vs. John Smoltz Sunday . . . Neil Diamond plays the FleetCenter Aug. 15. The Sox play the White Sox the day before at 2:05 p.m. before departing for a seven-day road trip. The Sox' entertainment and public relations maestro, Dr. Charles Steinberg, has begun talking to Diamond's people about a live rendition of ''Sweet Caroline" at Fenway while in town . . . Matt Mantei's ERA in his last 14 appearances is 0.75 . . . John Olerud went 3 for 4 Saturday as a designated hitter in his extended spring training debut. The 36-year-old, who is coming off foot surgery, has been somewhat slowed by a hamstring problem. ''Because of that hamstring he did not put a great effort into running [Saturday]," Francona said. ''[He] ran nine 40-yard sprints rather than doing it during the game to try to protect him a little bit." . . . Alan Embree, who went four days between appearances, pitched a scoreless eighth, allowing a Miguel Olivo single. Embree also walked Ichiro intentionally . . . Ramirez's 400th career home run, a three-run shot, also gave him 500 RBIs with the Red Sox. Ramirez on the 400th homer: ''Just a happy man to accomplish that already. Just going out there, playing my game, and [trying to] win. I knew it was going to happen someday. I wasn't going to force it on myself. My swing is there. I'm just trying to be patient."