Wells attempts to clear the air

PHILADELPHIA -- A day after bringing up David Dellucci's name in a discussion of steroids that primarily centered on Barry Bonds, Red Sox pitcher David Wells called Sox publicist John Blake to deny that he had accused the Phillies outfielder of using steroids or insinuating that he had. Blake passed along Wells's comments to a Phillies official, and they were relayed to Dellucci, who had expressed dismay Saturday night that Wells had mentioned him.

Sox manager Terry Francona sought out Dellucci yesterday morning to apologize for Wells's remarks, which came during a 30-minute conversation with reporters before Saturday night's 8-4 Boston win. While he was being interviewed, Bonds hit his 714th homer, and questions shifted from Wells's pitching status to Bonds and the steroids controversy.

Wells said Bonds ''hit a few home runs off me while he was juiced [using performance-enhancing substances]. There have been a lot of 'em off people when he was juiced. Look at him, the man is enormous."

He also said if Bonds said he unknowingly took steroids to a grand jury, as has been reported, ''that's a crock. I think he knew what he was doing. Does it make him a bad guy? No. [Former pitcher David] Cone always said if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying. That's a pretty good motto."

But later, Wells said that while he ''liked" Bonds, if he cheated he was ''as bad as a scab."

Wells said he was ''sure" there were other players who were cheating, though it's ''far few [sic]." He also said he was tested four times last season.

''I think they should go after the guys who have been suspected of doing them," Wells said. ''Guys who are ripped. Go get those guys."

It was at that point Wells brought Dellucci's name into the conversation.

Question: ''Are there guys, power guys, who you say there's no way they're juicing, or is everybody under suspicion?"

Wells: ''Now everybody is, I would think. You see a little itty bitty guy hitting 30 home runs, like Dellucci, I guess. How many home runs did he hit last year? Twenty-nine? Has he ever done that in his career? The numbers have gone down tremendously since all this has come up. You know, I know Dave. I've never suspected him of doing 'em, so, you know, it's something that, who else, who else could be? [Craig] Biggio, he can hit the ball, he can make good contact. I guess if you've been around the game enough and know the strike zone. It's like Wade Boggs, he never hit home runs but he could if he wanted to. He could see the ball well and he could put the bat on the ball well. BP, he was unbelievable. He could go deep at will.

''But to me, . . . suspicion is on everybody. There are a lot of guys who aren't doing 'em, there are a lot of guys who did do 'em who aren't doing 'em now, and you've got human growth hormone, too, so, and that's undetected. So I'm not sure everybody's on that."

Wells's assertion that ''I know Dave, I've never suspected him of doing 'em," was cut in late editions of yesterday's Globe, but Dellucci was read Wells's comments in their entirety and appeared shaken.

Dellucci said he had been tested several times last season and as recently as last week. ''If David has any suspicions, he can check any one of my drug tests and he can go observe my workout routine and then we'll see," Dellucci said Saturday night, saying this was the first time he'd ever been linked to steroids in any way.

Wells told reporters in Moosic, Pa., yesterday, where he was making a rehab start, that he was just making ''conversation."

''I've known David for a long time," Wells said. ''I've been a teammate. The guy busts his [expletive] in the gym, and he works out hard. We were just making conversation.

''I wasn't accusing him or anything of the sort. So the [expletive] who did it, or the [expletives] who did it, I think they need to [expletive]. And you can quote me on that. [Expletives].

''Anybody who questioned that, I think it would be unfair, for remarks that reporters made and took out of context. I think that he should be cleared, and I feel bad for him. But we were just making points, and we were asking about guys who go deep and may be subjected to steroids. A lot of people would say yeah, a lot of people would say no, but it just depends on the individual.

''But I feel bad for [Dellucci], because he shouldn't have to go through all that. Because after they came to me, they went right over to him and said, 'Well, do you know what David Wells said?' I would never say that about David to begin with.

''I tried calling him [yesterday], to clear the air with him, because that's just bad penmanship on their part. That's just [expletive], trying to spark up something, trying to get me in trouble again. I like talking to reporters, but not anymore. I'm done with them. Today's the last day. You guys get the last hurrah."

Francona met with Dellucci on the field before the game. ''He just apologized and I told him I really appreciated it," said Dellucci yesterday morning.

Dellucci said, ''[Francona] didn't make the comments, and for him to come over was very classy of him and I guess it shows how ridiculous the comments were. He said the apology was from him and the 25 guys that are in that clubhouse right now. I was very angry because it's a slap in my face for all the hard work I've put in."

David Ortiz defended A.J. Pierzynski, a former teammate in the Twins' minor league system, after Saturday's brawl in Chicago in which Pierzynski took one on the chin from Cubs catcher Michael Barrett after their collision at the plate. While replays gave rise to hoots in the Red Sox clubhouse Saturday, Ortiz felt he needed to stand up for the oft-maligned Pierzynski. ''When you get hit, when you get in contact with somebody, you kind of lose it for a minute," Ortiz said. ''He's a talker, but he's not one guy that's gonna do anything about it. He's not a bad person. He's just a [trash] talker. I remember at one point I was struggling really bad with the Twins. I'm sitting at my locker after this one game, all [screwed] up, and A.J. was the guy that came right at me and told me, 'Hey dude, hang in there. Hang tight. Sometimes things [don't] work the way we expect them to work, but hang in there, man. Nothing you can do, you're trying.' A.J. Pierzynski, you know what I mean. I look to the side, and the guy that [people] want to kill is talking to me like that. That tells you he's not what he seems like."

It's been quite some time since David Riske last pitched for the Sox -- 39 games, to be exact -- but it appears Riske, absent since April 4, could be back today. Riske, who struck out the side for Pawtucket in his last rehab tuneup Saturday, joined the club for the plane ride home yesterday, and Francona said he probably will be activated by today. ''Locating a lot better. Mechanics are coming in. Everything's just normal now," said Riske, who has been out with a lower back strain. ''I'm just excited to pitch," added Riske, who came to the Sox as part of the Coco Crisp deal, in which the Indians received top third base prospect Andy Marte and catcher Kelly Shoppach . . . Crisp is planning to take batting practice against live pitching today, and a rehab assignment, most likely in Pawtucket, should follow quickly if all goes well . . . Gabe Kapler (Achilles' tendon) might be a week away from beginning a rehab assignment . . . The Phillies' Alex Gonzalez, 33, retired yesterday after 13 seasons in the majors. He was batting just .111.

Amalie Benjamin of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Chad Jennings contributed to this report. For photos from yesterday's game and updates on tonight's contest, go to www.boston.com/redsox