He has something saved Timlin's gas tank isn't on empty yet

After Mike Timlin gave up six hits in a span of eight batters last Tuesday night in Baltimore, including a three-run home run to Ramon Hernandez, it was tempting to conclude that it might be better for the 40-year-old reliever to retire to his Barcalounger than entertain thoughts of returning next season.

Since then, however, Timlin has reeled off four saves in four opportunities, including saves in all three wins over the Yankees last weekend, two in Sunday's doubleheader. Timlin pitched a scoreless inning in all four saves.

``It's not just the saves," Timlin said. ``It's throwing strikes and throwing the ball approximately where I'd like to. That's the satisfaction."

The Yankees did not make it easy on Timlin Sunday night, manager Joe Torre sending up both Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez as pinch hitters in the ninth. Damon singled to put the tying run on base with one out, but A-Rod popped to second and Melky Cabrera lined to left to end the game.

``They've got a great lineup," Timlin said. ``Joe Torre plays the game well. He had things measured out, and it's like a title fight. We threw some punches in the eighth, we threw punches back and forth, and luckily, as God blessed me, I was able to get through the hitters in the end."

With three innings against the Yankees this weekend, Timlin now has pitched 302 2/3 innings for the Sox since he arrived in 2003, including 22 1/3 in the postseason. Including the 20 appearances he made in the postseason, Timlin has made 291 appearances for the Sox, including a league-leading 81 in the regular season in 2005. Entering this season, only Scott Eyre and Ray King, with 243 appearances apiece, had pitched in more regular-season games than Timlin (229) the last three years.

Mike Lowell's double in his first at-bat against Mike Mussina Sunday night was his 44th of the season, matching a career high he set in 2002 and duplicated in 2004 with the Marlins. Only two Sox third basemen in history have had more doubles in a season: Bill Mueller had 45 in 2003, and Wade Boggs had seasons of 45, 47, and 51 . . . Trot Nixon's home run off Mussina was his first in 48 at-bats since July 25 at Seattle and just his second in 51 games since June 9, spanning 170 at-bats. Nixon also had a single off Mussina but has just 4 hits in his last 31 at-bats, and is 6 for 36 since coming off the disabled list Sept 3. The longest homerless streak on the club belongs to Mark Loretta, who hasn't connected since Aug. 1 off C.C. Sabathia, a span of 172 at-bats. Loretta finished the season series against the Yankees with a .378 average, second only to the ungodly .556 (25 for 45) Manny Ramírez hit against the Bombers, with 7 home runs and 21 RBIs.

Alex Gonzalez, who broke an 0-for-16 slide with a double Saturday, went hitless in four trips Sunday and is batting just .090 in his last 20 games, dropping his average from a season-best .291 to its current .255. The slump has coincided with a strained oblique muscle, which led to his placement on the disabled list Aug. 22 (retroactive to Aug. 19). Gonzalez is 3 for 32 since coming off the DL . . . Carlos Peña's start in the second game Sunday was his first since Sept. 2 against the Blue Jays. Peña was robbed of a hit by Miguel Cairo in his first at-bat, then took a third strike and hit into a double play before doubling to open the ninth. That hit led to the winning run, as pinch runner Alex Cora came across on Loretta's sacrifice fly . . . Wily Mo Peña is day to day with a strained right quadriceps, which he hurt chasing down Jason Giambi's hit Saturday night.

The Yankees put a creative spin on what often becomes a needlessly humiliating tradition of hazing a team's rookies in baseball. Instead of going the conventional route of forcing the kids to wear women's clothing and parading them through the airport, the Yanks came up with matching wigs, white turtlenecks, blue blazers, and sunglasses in parody of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The effect was hilarious, and players like Cabrera happily posed for pictures with family and friends as the team boarded the buses taking staff and players to the airport and a flight to Toronto.

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