Wells deals with being left behind

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Wearing a baby blue T-shirt that read ''I Beat Anorexia," David Wells panned a near-empty clubhouse yesterday morning, saw Bronson Arroyo packing his belongings, and said, ''Wrong guy."

Arroyo, who desperately wanted to stay, was gone, while Wells, who wanted to pitch closer to home, was still with the Red Sox, ready to make his spring debut. He lasted four innings against Tampa Bay but tired in the fourth, when he allowed four hits and three runs. He'd been quite sharp before that, conceding only one hit through three innings, though the one was a solo homer on a misplaced 0-and-2 fastball to Ty Wigginton.

''He put a wallop in it," said Wells.

The positives: His right knee felt fine, as did his mechanics.

''Knee felt great," he said. ''I feel really good and I'm really positive about the way my mechanics were. I went out there not knowing what to expect."

Wells's next few weeks, leading up to the season, will be rather unsettled. He's scheduled to pitch again Sunday, but that game is two hours away in Clearwater. So he's pondering a minor league game Sunday, which might be followed by a start at Philadelphia in an exhibition April 1. He's going to be skipped once to start the season, likely debuting April 12. What will he do in the 10 days in between?

''Maybe throw some simulated games, throw some bullpens," he said. ''They're boring, bullpens."

He intends to accompany the team rather than stay behind in Florida.

''I don't like Florida," said Wells, even though he owns a home here. ''I'll go home and work out with my high school team before I stay here."

But, all in all, the 42-year-old lefty sounds resigned to being with this team, and to not pitching until mid-April. ''I'm not happy with it, no," he said. ''I'm just going to keep my mouth shut, and whatever happens, happens and [I'll] just deal with it."

Curt Schilling is scheduled to pitch again Friday. The Sox are in Fort Lauderdale that day against Baltimore, and since Schilling won't face AL East opponents, the club is planning to move a Triple A game from the minor league complex to City of Palms Park to simulate big-league conditions . . . Keith Foulke will make his spring debut in that minor league game, probably pitch again Saturday, and pitch Monday. ''After that," he said, ''I don't know." What's the plan for Friday? ''Go out and strike three guys out on 12 pitches and call it a day," Foulke said.

Alex González made another otherworldly play, on a Luis Ordaz grounder to Mike Lowell's left that caromed off his former Florida teammate's glove. González picked the ball out of the air with his bare hand and threw on a hop across the diamond to cut down a stunned Ordaz. ''Lowell, every time he makes a play, says, 'Told ya,' " said manager Terry Francona. ''He came in and said, 'I haven't seen that one.' " . . . Lowell, 3 for 21 (.143) at one point this spring, collected two more hits, a double and single, and is 5 for his last 11. He's up to .250 (8 for 32) . . . The Sox went deep four times yesterday: David Ortiz in the fourth inning, Mark Loretta and Manny Ramírez in the fifth, and Alex Cora in the seventh. Ortiz's homer, a towering blast to right, came in his spring debut for Boston; he'd spent the previous 2 1/2 weeks with the Dominican team playing in the World Baseball Classic. Ortiz also doubled yesterday . . . Classic scene in the fourth inning: Ortiz homered, and Ramírez, who was on deck, held up the game for about a minute while looking for his helmet. ''He couldn't find it," Francona said. ''He went back and forth three times. It was right there."

Jon Lester, in his third and final spring start, struggled mightily, allowing five runs on five hits, including homers by Ordaz and Travis Lee, in two innings. He walked one and did not strike anyone out. In his three spring appearances in his first big-league camp, Lester's line: 0-2, 19.50 ERA, 6 IP, 12 hits, 13 runs, 6 BBs, 2 K's. ''He's a solid kid," Francona said. ''I don't think we've come close to scratching the surface of what this kid will do." . . . Julián Tavárez, also away playing for the Dominican team of late, made his Sox debut, working one inning. The ground-ball pitcher fanned Damon Hollins, allowed a single, and got out of the inning with a double play . . . Expensive winter for the Sox. The club absorbed $15 million of Edgar Renteria's contract in his trade to Atlanta. They also absorbed $2.25 million of Arroyo's three-year, $11.25 million deal, paying his $750,000 signing bonus and agreeing to foot $1.5 million of his '06 base salary. That's $17.25 million eaten by the club . . . Jonathan Papelbon starts tonight vs. the Yankees at Tampa. He's likely bound for the bullpen, though Francona has yet to talk to Papelbon about his role. ''This week we'll start clearing some things up," Francona said. ''We haven't seen Foulkie in a game yet, so I don't want to get too far ahead of myself."