Nixon still thriving

As an original Dirt Dog, and the player longest-tenured with the Red Sox organization, Trot Nixon's contribution always has gone beyond the numbers.

And right now the numbers for Nixon, the Sox' first pick in the 1993 draft, aren't too shabby either.

Entering yesterday, Nixon was leading the American League with a .409 average in day games; he was fifth in the AL with a .332 overall average, and he was third in the league with a .437 on-base percentage. He's also playing well in right field.

Not bad for a guy at the end of a three-year, $19.5 million contract, who needs a big year to have a chance to stay where he really wants to play the remainder of his career -- in Boston.

But the biggest number for Nixon, heading into today's makeup game against the Phillies, might be 66 -- the number of games he's played so far.

That's important for a player who was very dependable until he was limited to 48 games in 2004 and 124 a year ago.

``It doesn't worry me," Nixon said recently of his free agent status. ``That's just the game of baseball.

``In professional sports, it's not like it used to be. I can't say it'll never be, but you don't ever see guys staying 12, 15 years [with one team]. It's part of the game. Some guys want to go to different places. There are other guys who are moved out because guys come up from the minors and they're ready to contribute."

Manager Terry Francona has accepted a perceived decrease in power from Nixon (he has only six homers) in exchange for the improved on-base numbers he's putting up.

``I'll take that any day," Francona said. ``Trot's in a groove right now. A lot of it has been opportunity. He's had a chance to stay in there every day. He's healthy and he's putting up some numbers. He's so valuable to our team."

Nixon, who hit 28 homers in 2003, hit six in his shortened '04 season, and 13 last year.

He's on an eight-game hitting streak during which he's hit .414 (12 for 29) with 5 doubles, 8 runs, 5 RBIs, and 6 walks. He's done serious damage against the weak National League East, which probably hasn't hurt his chances of getting the attention of an NL team looking for an outfielder.

As Wily Mo Peña gets better after hamate bone surgery, the Sox will have to find playing time for Peña, whom they traded Bronson Arroyo for. Yet it's hard to imagine Nixon getting any less time.

Nixon is hitting only .232 with two home runs against lefthanded pitchers, but Francona thinks he'll get better against lefties the more he faces them.

When Francona left the ballpark yesterday to head off to a gym to play basketball with his daughter, followed by a family dinner, he didn't plan on making many changes for this afternoon's makeup game against the Phillies.

Tim Wakefield still is set to oppose Cory Lidle.

Francona had planned to start Alex Cora at second base yesterday instead of Mark Loretta, who is recovering from a strained neck. Though Loretta, who hurt himself on an inside pitch in the fifth inning Saturday, is recovering rapidly and could be ready today, Francona said he likely would stick with Cora at second base just to give Loretta one more day and get him ready for the Mets series.

``It's calming down," said Loretta, who has hit safely in eight straight games, at a .444 clip. ``I've taken some anti-inflammatories and I saw the chiropractor. I'm not concerned."

When you've won eight consecutive games there isn't much to tinker with. In fact, most hot teams want to continue playing and dislike any disruption in the schedule. Today was scheduled to be an offday for the Sox, but that wound up being yesterday, although players and personnel had to show up at the park, go through their normal pregame routines, and then go home when the game finally was called shortly after 1.

The Sox announced that tickets for yesterday's game will be honored only for today's game, with gates opening at 11:05 a.m. With Philadelphia making its only scheduled trip here this season, the decision regarding the postponement was left to the umpires. The Sox received word from their weather service that rain was likely throughout the day and early evening, even though it wasn't coming down very hard when the game was called.

The Sox, who have gone through several agonizing rain delays already this season, made the announcement quickly, even though the gates had opened. It was the fifth rainout of the season at Fenway.

Lenny DiNardo's rehab isn't going as well as hoped. DiNardo, who has been sidelined with a neck strain and was placed on the disabled list May 24, has been feeling tingling and numbness in his fingertips when he reaches a certain distance in his tossing. The pitcher is so frustrated he's made an appointment to see an acupuncturist to see if that will help . . . The news is better for David Wells, whose sore right knee is starting to respond to the physical therapy he's been doing on the West Coast. Francona said Wells likely will meet up with the team in Florida next week . . . Matt Clement (right shoulder strain) also has made some progress. Clement, who went on the DL June 15, may throw a side session tomorrow and could be activated early in July. . . . Francona also reported the swelling in Keith Foulke's right elbow has gone down.

The Sox have gone 12 straight games without an error, a team record. Their last error was committed by Kevin Youkilis in Game 1 of the doubleheader against Texas June 11. The longest streak of errorless games this season is 14, shared by the Angels (April 22-May 6) and Astros (June 5-20) . . . Jason Johnson, who was to make his Sox debut Saturday against Florida, has been moved up a day, the first game of a three-game series against the Marlins. That puts Wakefield on normal rest for the Saturday game against Florida . . . Tours of Fenway went on yesterday, even after the rainout was announced . . . The Sox have had 12 players on the disabled list; they've missed a total of 300 games . . . When Francona won Saturday, his career record went to 522-522, the first time he's been .500 since April 2, 1997, two games into his managerial career with the Phillies. Francona was 78 games under .500 when he took over the Sox in 2004.