Foulke isn't putting any knock on his knees

TORONTO -- Keith Foulke, who pitched a clutch 1 2/3 innings Friday night, said there's one thing he wants to make clear.

''The thing we have to make sure fans understand is [my knees are] not affecting my pitching," he said. ''They may ache in everyday life, but it's not affecting my pitching."

Foulke, who received injections of artificial joint lubricant in March, said he's not yet ready to ask for more.

''At this point I don't think it's worth it," he said. ''We'll figure that out when they bother me enough that I need something."

Foulke has appeared in nine games, pitching 11 innings, with an 0-1 record, 4.09 ERA, and an impressive WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.91. He's walked two and whiffed seven. But if his knees aren't affecting his pitching, what stands between what he is at this time and what he was at his best in 2004?

''A routine, mechanics, finding something that's consistent with the whole mechanical process," he said. ''I'm trying to break bad habits still that I've done for a couple years. I'm able to do things now [physically] that I wasn't able to do for a couple years.

''It's easy to do on flat ground and the bullpen. But you get out there in a game, with hitters, and you're thinking about getting a hitter out, and a lot of times it's not habit. You have to go back to old things. That's why a lot of times you'll see my velocity fluctuate.

''It's getting better. I really feel I'll continue to get better, until I get to where I'm going to be."

Foulke's contract calls for a team option of $7.5 million (with a $1 million buyout) next year or a $3.5 million player option.

''A lot of stuff can happen between now and November when those decisions have to be made," he said. ''I'll pitch for a couple more years. I really think hopefully I'll enjoy going out and pitching and being a pretty damn good pitcher again. When that happens, I want to play again. Now it's just getting back to not being an average pitcher."

He continues to support Jonathan Papelbon as closer.

''I'm not going to fool myself thinking that I'm better than he is," Foulke said. ''At this point right now, I'm not."

Having asked 9 1/3 innings out of the bullpen over the last two days, the Red Sox need relief, and it will come today in the person of Manny Delcarmen, who was recalled yesterday in place of Jermaine Van Buren, who was optioned to Pawtucket.

Delcarmen, in five appearances with the PawSox, has scattered five hits, walked three, and fanned 10 in 10 scoreless innings. Van Buren, who was called up April 15, had yet to pitch for the Sox when he entered yesterday for Lenny DiNardo, with no outs and two runners on in the fourth inning.

The 25-year-old righthander with the unorthodox delivery walked Reed Johnson, then allowed an Alex Rios sacrifice fly to center and a two-run triple to Vernon Wells. After that, Van Buren set down seven of his final eight batters and erased his only base runner with a double play.

''I can pitch here still, that's all you can take away," said Van Buren, whose only previous big-league experience came last year, when he pitched six innings (walking nine) for the Cubs.

By pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings Friday night, Papelbon surpassed the 10-inning plateau while remaining unscored upon. With that, he won -- but effectively lost -- an odd bet with Kevin Youkilis. Papelbon's half of the bet: begin the year with 10 scoreless innings. Youkilis's half: hit .350 with five home runs. Though he won, Papelbon had to subject himself to bullpen catcher Jason Larocque shaving his head into a Mohawk, complete with the Rick ''Wild Thing" Vaughn zig-zags on his neck.

It remained unclear why the winner of the bet was the one forced to pay up.

''If you're going to pitch that well and make bets," a perplexed Foulke said, ''[you shouldn't] pitch well and embarrass yourself."

Papelbon doesn't know how long he'll keep the spiked strip of blond hair, which could become a landing strip for criticism if he were to suddenly lose his dominance (he's 7 for 7 in save situations). For now, the dynamic closer said he's not concerned with anyone's perception of him. (''I've only got one person to answer to," he said, meaning his wife.)

Curt Schilling, however, did something similar in 1988 at age 21, and quickly found that he did have someone to answer to.

''I gave myself a Mohawk when I got called up," Schilling recalled. ''I thought it was cool. Frank [Robinson] called me into his office and for 10 minutes he just stared at me. I had an earring, too. Finally he said to me, 'You'll never throw a pitch for me as long as you've got that.' I walked out of his office, cut my hair, and took off the earring."

Trot Nixon hit a ball to second baseman Aaron Hill in the second inning for a hit, though Hill threw the ball away. Nixon, after reaching safely, took what manager Terry Francona properly labeled a ''jab step" toward second base, though he followed that step by turning toward the stands to return to first base. Nonetheless, Bengie Molina, who'd backed up the base, threw to Lyle Overbay, who tagged Nixon for the out. ''I saw it," Francona said. ''He kind of put an ump in a situation where he almost had to make the call." First base coach Bill Haselman saw the movement, too, and was pointing to Nixon, telling him to get back. ''Yeah, he did," Nixon said. ''I was just kind of flustered because I didn't think I made that big of an effort to go to second base. I think the rule could be tinkered a little." . . . Francona, in the interest of getting J.T. Snow a start, rested Mike Lowell and played Youkilis at third base. Snow went 0 for 4 and is hitting .125 (2 for 16) . . . Francona also rested Jason Varitek, after Varitek caught all 12 innings Friday night. ''He's been battling that [gluteus] muscle," Francona said. ''I don't want to run him into the ground two weeks into the season."

Toronto's A.J. Burnett, placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, is scheduled to see noted orthopedist James Andrews tomorrow in Birmingham, Ala., to have his right elbow evaluated. ''I'm not that worried," said Worcester's J.P. Ricciardi, GM of the Blue Jays. ''Everything we're being told we're being told by very good people. So we're not that worried. If it's a long time, it's a long time, what are you going to do? We're a staff now if we get five or six innings out of a starter we can score runs. The days of worrying are over. The horse [Roy Halladay] is healthy. That's the biggest thing." . . . Hill, who was plunked by Josh Beckett to lead off the eighth inning Friday night, opening the door for Toronto to score five unanswered runs to win, 7-6, was asked if he thought Beckett might have hit him intentionally. ''No," Adams said. The possibility was there, given that Alex Gonzalez was hit on the shoulder in the top of the inning. ''I don't know," Hill continued. ''I don't want to start anything. If he did, then hey, I guess that's what he gets. But I wouldn't say so. I crowd the plate. He was probably just trying to brush me off a little bit to set his pitches up away. But whether he did or didn't, it sparked a great inning for us." Added Hill: ''I had to sleep on my other side." . . . Mark Loretta went 0 for 4, is 0 for his last 8, and 1 for his last 11 . . . Alex Cora, who spelled Gonzalez at shortstop, turned two sterling double plays . . . Adam Stern made his PawSox season debut last night, going 2 for 3 with two walks and an RBI in a 6-2 win over Buffalo.

Gordon Edes of the Globe staff contributed to this report.