Positive thinking proves a negative here

MINNEAPOLIS -- It was a play that could have cost the Sox dearly. With one out in the sixth, Alex Cora, who was on first, tried to tag up on David Ortiz's drive to deep left-center, which was deep enough to allow Dustin Pedroia to score easily from the third. But left fielder Jason Kubel threw out Cora at second before Pedroia scored, nullifying a run.

Manager Terry Francona praised Cora as someone who is always thinking, "always trying to do the right thing," but admitted losing that run hurt, especially when the Twins crept to within 4-3 before losing by that score yesterday.

"That run, we were trying to figure out how to put it back on the board," said Francona, adding that in hindsight, Cora should have retreated to first when he saw the play was going to be close.

Cora admitted he made a mistake. "Little plays make a difference," he said. "I almost messed that up for us."

Sox fans may recall two similar plays, both involving Carl Everett. The Sox lost a game against Oakland in 2001, 7-6, when Everett was thrown out at third trying to advance on a fly ball before Trot Nixon had crossed the plate. Everett was the last out of the game. The year before, Everett was the hitter against Detroit when he flied out and Brian Daubach, who hadn't tagged up, was doubled up off second before Nixon crossed the plate.

Even Daisuke Matsuzaka weighed in on Roger Clemens signing with the Yankees.

"I just heard that he signed with the Yankees and I am surprised," he said. "With his long career and such a fabulous track record, there would have been a lot of things that I probably could have learned from him had we had the chance to play together. But at the same time I don't feel disappointed that we're not going to play together. I think if I really want to take a close look at his pitching, I probably have a better chance to do that if I'm not actually throwing in the same game."

Said fellow Texan Josh Beckett of Clemens: "The greatest pitcher that ever lived to pitch on your staff would be a plus. But we're doing all right without him."

Curt Schilling also noted that Jon Lester should be back sooner than later.

"He was 7-2 last year," Schilling noted. "You never want to say you have enough pitching. We made that mistake last year. But the fact of the matter is, [Clemens] didn't work out here. The bottom line is it's Roger's decision, and nobody's business but Roger's.

"I bet you a lot of guys, if they could play half the year and make $12 million to $14 million for a few months, they'd do it. The [Yankees] can spend the cash. There are only two teams that can do it."

David Ortiz: "Having Clemens in the game is just a plus for baseball. You don't want to see a guy like that gone. It means a lot to the game, a guy like that playing the game. It's good for baseball. It's like Sammy Sosa and those guys."

The Pawtucket Red Sox were involved in a collapse of epic proportions Saturday in Buffalo, and top relief prospects Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen were in the middle of it. The PawSox, ahead, 14-6, after the top of the ninth, gave up nine runs in the bottom of the inning. Hansen faced seven batters; all of them scored. He made an error and failed to cover first base on another play, contributing to his demise. Delcarmen, who earlier in the week had wild-pitched home the deciding runs in an extra-inning loss, walked home the winning run Saturday . . . Kevin Youkilis, who was forced out of the game when his left quadriceps tightened on him after he was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning, got some good news yesterday. The official scorer changed his ruling from an error on third baseman Nick Punto to a hit for Youkilis on a ninth-inning bouncer Saturday night that caused Punto to range nearly five steps to make the play. Youkilis ceded his place to Eric Hinske for the final innings yesterday, but he said he thought with the offday he should have no trouble playing in Toronto tomorrow. "I just tightened up real bad in my quad," Youkilis said. "I didn't want to be a problem in the field, trying to get to balls I couldn't get to. I'd rather have somebody a lot healthier than me. Close game like that, you've got to be smart about it." . . . Lester will play catch for the first time since leaving Wednesday's Triple A game early with forearm cramping. Though there is no timetable beyond that, he'll proceed to long toss, then a bullpen session.

Manny Ramírez sat for the first time all season, despite having a 19-for-47 (.404) lifetime average against Twins starter Sidney Ponson. "We had been going back and forth suggesting days for the past 10 days," Francona said. "We've got to [sit him] at some point. I told him what I want it to be is the best for you physically. We kind of went back and forth on it last night and today. Then he finally said the two days in a row will do me some good." Julio Lugo, who has gone .155 (11 for 71) in his last 18 games, was also given the day off . . . Twins catcher Joe Mauer, winner of the batting title last season, was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game with a muscle strain in his left quadriceps . . . When Jonathan Papelbon headed to the mound in the ninth inning, Devern Hansack and Kyle Snyder were up in the bullpen. But they weren't there to back up the closer, they were simply getting in their work for the day. Neither had pitched since Thursday . . . Ponson's record against the Red Sox fell to 3-11 with a 6.61 ERA . . . Dustin Pedroia's three-hit game (two doubles) was the first of his career and gave him five hits in six at-bats in two starts here.