Wells in comfort zone

PHILADELPHIA -- David Wells, who was twice a Yankee and before signing with the Red Sox last winter called Brian Cashman and tried to talk the Yankees' general manager into a third go-round, was asked his thoughts on the Bombers' current travails, which had them just over .500 (38-37) after last night's win over the Mets.

''I don't know and I don't care," the Sox pitcher said. ''I'm glad I'm where I'm at. That's their problem, and you can go ask them.

''But I don't think George [Steinbrenner] is too happy. I think he's about ready to clean house, tell Brian to trade everybody and then fire him. I'll take him, though, because Cashman is a great guy. He's been good to me."

Steinbrenner, in fact, has called an organizational meeting today.

Outfielder Bernie Williams has been a recent target of criticism, and last night was benched in favor of Triple A outfielder Kevin Reese. Wells defended his former teammate.

''It's easier to get on Bernie because he's a lot older, and then all the questions come out that he might be over the hill," Wells said. ''I'll take Bernie on my team, any day."

Wells was asked if he was surprised at the struggles of Randy Johnson, who last night pitched 6 2/3 innings but didn't figure in the decision as the Yankees avoided being swept at home by their cross-town rivals.

''No," Wells said, ''because the American League East is the toughest division in baseball. I can see him struggling just like everybody else.

''New York is a tough place to play. I told a lot of people going in that he's got to be able to handle the media. If you can't handle the media and get caught up in it, they're going to [tick] you off. It's going to get to him mentally, then physically and then all of a sudden he's got to try hard because he knows if he has a bad game, he knows what they're going to write about him.

''The thing with him, who gives a [expletive] what they write. He's got a lot of experience."

Wells was asked if he thought Johnson has indeed been affected.

''I don't know, I'm not there. Yeah, if you're going to look at it that way, yeah, maybe that could be it, but I can't really comment on what's going on," he said. ''If anybody, you can ask [Curt] Schilling. He was his teammate [in Arizona]. Ask [Schilling] what's bothering [Johnson]. I don't know, but to me, if you can't handle the fans and media in New York, it's going to [mess] you up."

Would Wells have believed it if someone had told him that the Yankees would begin the day at .500?

''I would have said no. I would have put money on it. I would have said they'd be right there [at the top of the division].

''But anything can happen in this game. Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

Satisfactory stint

Schilling's bullpen session yesterday went without a hitch . . . Ramón Vázquez made his first start at short yesterday since June 4 in place of Edgar Renteria, who was given the day off to rest his sore wrist. Renteria had talked manager Terry Francona out of sitting him Saturday, and collected three hits. Mark Bellhorn hit in Renteria's No. 2 spot and homered, doubled, and singled, knocking in three runs and scoring four, matching his career best. Vázquez went 0 for 3 and also made a damaging error in the seventh. He's hitting an even .200 and has fallen well short of expectations . . . Francona said he also wanted to rest third baseman Bill Mueller yesterday, but was dissuaded of the notion by Mueller, who singled and doubled and had five hits in the series . . . No one thought Manny Ramírez's fourth-inning fly ball would carry into the seats for a grand slam. ''Including Manny," Francona said. Ramírez has 19 slams, tied for second all-time with former Indians teammate and Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, trailing only Lou Gehrig, who belted 23 . . . Ramírez hustled down the line in the first to avoid a double play ahead of Trot Nixon's RBI single, then collected his major-league leading 10th assist when Jason Michaels foolishly tried to go first to third on Bobby Abreu's single in the first. Abreu would later double and homer . . . Catcher Jason Varitek exonerated Ramírez of what had appeared to be a misplay on Chase Utley's RBI double Saturday. ''The ball travels extremely well, inside 50 feet to the [foul] poles," Varitek said. ''That ball that got over Manny's head was 40 feet in and shallow and blew all the way to the corner. It was a routine fly ball. Everybody thinks because it was Manny and he misplayed the ball, but it should have been a routine play until the ball went whooosh." . . . Last season, Sox pitchers batted .095 in interleague play (2 for 21), with Derek Lowe and Schilling collecting the only hits. When Wells singled in the fourth yesterday, it was the fifth hit for Sox pitchers this season. Wade Miller and Tim Wakefield have two hits apiece. It was the first time since the DH came into existence in 1973 that three Sox pitchers had a hit in the same season. No American League pitching staff had more than four hits entering play yesterday. Wells was credited with an RBI on his ground ball in the fifth, his firstr RBI in the AL. Despite hitting just .105 (6 for 57) last season, Wells had 3 RBIs for the Padres, the first of his career . . . The one flaw on Mike Timlin's dance card in an otherwise stellar first half is not insignificant Of the 14 baserunners he has inherited, nine have scored, including two in the seventh inning yesterday . . . Francona said he took no special satisfaction in the Sox' sweep here, where he managed from 1997-2000 and was a target of fan disaffection before being fired. ''I'm really glad we played well," he said. ''If they'd have given us an extra game for winning, I'd say, 'Yeah [it was special]. But time heals."