Varitek (4 for 4) is catching fire at the plate

TORONTO -- No one is suggesting the bottom of this Red Sox order is the equal of the 2004 team's, which had a batting champion, Bill Mueller, hitting ninth. But it no longer looks to be the black hole some projected it to be, either.

Last night's 4-for-4 game by catcher Jason Varitek (a home run and three singles) lifted his average to .284, 59 points higher than he was hitting May 1. It's his highest average since April 12, 2006, when he was at .286. All four hits came against righthanded pitchers, lifting Varitek's average from the left side from .203 to .254.

"It's May 8, but he works hard, and it's nice for him to have something to show for his hard work, because he gives so much behind the plate," said manager Terry Francona. "We're all thrilled for him. The whole bench was patting him on the back, happy for him. He worked so hard this spring."

Rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia, with a three-run home run and an infield hit, is 8 for his last 13. On May 1, he was batting .172. He's up to .254, which should quiet, at least temporarily, the critics who already had decided Pedroia was overmatched here.

"Power food," closer Jonathan Papelbon yelled out while Pedroia was surrounded by reporters.

"Ask him about the power food." Said Pedroia with a smile, "I'm drinking those shakes J.D. [Drew] drinks."

What about Papelbon's shakes? "I don't know what he drinks," Pedroia said, "and I don't want to know."

A little more than a month remains before Barry Bonds is scheduled to make his first trip to Fenway Park -- the Giants arrive for a three-game set that begins June 15 -- but Curt Schilling threw down a verbal gantlet to baseball's active home run leader on WEEI yesterday morning.

Asked whether people should hold their noses as Bonds draws closer to Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755, Schilling said:

"Oh yeah. I would think so. I mean, he admitted that he used steroids. I mean, there's no gray area. He admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes, and cheating on the game, so I think the reaction around the league, the game, being what it is, in the case of what people think. Hank Aaron not being there. The commissioner trying to figure out where to be. It's sad.

"And I don't care that he's black, or green, or purple, or yellow, or whatever. It's unfortunate . . . there's good people and bad people. It's unfortunate that it's happening the way it's happening."

For the record, Bonds has hit eight home runs off Schilling; Schilling has struck him out 13 times and walked him 19. Bonds has batted .263 (21 for 80) against Schilling.

Francona won his 300th game as Sox manager last night and was reminded that he didn't get there in four seasons in Philadelphia (285 wins). "I'm aware of that," he said. "You could count spring training, winter ball, everything else." . . . Drew was 0 for 4 last night and is now 4 for his last 40 (.100) . . . Mike Lowell broke an 0-for-12 skid with his three-run home run . . . Jacoby Ellsbury's 19-game minor league hitting streak ended last night, as he went hitless in four at-bats for Pawtucket at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In his last at-bat, in the eighth, he reached on an error . . . Kevin Youkilis left with what was described as a bruised left quadriceps after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth. He was hit in the same muscle, but 6 inches lower, Sunday in Minnesota. Youkilis has been hit five times this season, a team high. Asked if he thought Casey Janssen was throwing at him -- it was the first pitch of the at-bat and he had no chance of avoiding it -- Youkilis said, "It's a question mark whether it was intentional or unintentional. Only one person knows." The pitch drew a warning from plate umpire Brian Gorman.

So what, pray tell, was Manny Ramírez doing in the dugout Sunday afternoon in Minnesota, when NESN's cameras caught him rubbing the head of pitcher Julian Tavarez while broadcasters Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy sputtered, alternately amused and amazed? "He knows I was ticked off at him," Tavarez said. "He did that to try to make me go to sleep. I was mad at him because he was fooling around. Day off. He wasn't watching the game. I told him, 'You're fooling around too much. Watch the game.' Manny's like a little kid all the time. I've known him since 1991, when he first played winter ball in the Dominican. Then in '92, I was in spring training with him, and we became good friends. I understand Manny. Just whatever he says, say yes. Anything he says, don't believe."