Harsh words heard from coast to coast

Jonathan Papelbon can't field Carlos Pena's ninth-inning chopper, but second baseman Alex Cora did for the final out. (JIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF)

There was some Red Sox bashing in the air over the weekend, some that didn't have anything to do with Eric Gagné, Terry Francona, or Theo Epstein.

Orioles broadcaster Joe Angel ripped Fenway Park during the Sox-Orioles game Sunday, calling it a "toilet," while in Anaheim, Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. made certain his visit to Boston this weekend won't be overlooked, as he ripped Sox fans.

"They're loud, they're drunk, they're obnoxious," Matthews told a cluster of reporters, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

"They're one of the few places you'll hear racial comments . . . it's just different."

Matthews, who actually said he enjoyed playing in Boston and was smiling through much of his riff, was responding to a question about why the Angels have fared so poorly on their visits here. Since May 18, 2003, the Angels are 4-15 at Fenway.

"It's different from New York," said Matthews. "Yankee fans are passionate about their teams, but they're a little more couth. They have a little more class than Boston fans. At least in New York they appreciate guys who play the game hard and play the game right and they let you know it.

"In Boston, they just smack you for three straight days. They're just dogging you there the whole time. It's a different place."

Meanwhile, veteran broadcaster Angel, responding to characterizations of Oriole Park at Camden Yards as "Fenway South" because of all the Sox fans there this weekend, said that was an insult to Camden Yards, which is a "beautiful ballpark" while Fenway is "basically a toilet."

Several Sox fans listening to the Orioles broadcast e-mailed the Globe to note Angel's remark.

Underscoring that it will not be just another game when Jon Lester takes the mound for the Sox tonight is the fact that members of The Lester Project and Jimmy Fund volunteers will be at Fenway Park selling red silicone bracelets for $5 that read "#62 Strikes Out Cancer." The five women from area colleges who initiated The Lester Project after the Sox pitcher was diagnosed with cancer last August have raised more than $15,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Those not in attendance wishing to purchase bracelets may do so at thelesterproject.com or give a gift in Lester's honor at the radio-telethon link on jimmyfund.org.

Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees has a chance to join Manny Ramírez as the only players in the post-expansion era (which began in 1961) to average a run batted in per game or better for a 162-game season. Ramirez drove in 165 runs for the Indians in 1999, while playing in 147 games. Through the Yankees' first 117 games, A-Rod had 114 RBIs; Ramirez had 122 RBIs through the Indians' first 117 games in '99. He had an eight-RBI game on Sept. 24 that season, hitting a grand slam and three-run home run against Toronto.

Only two players have driven in 150 or more runs in this decade. Sammy Sosa had 160 RBIs while playing in 160 games for the Cubs in 2001, while Miguel Tejada drove in 150 while playing in all 162 games for the Orioles in 2004.

Ramírez drove in two runs Sunday to pass Jimmie Foxx for fifth place with the Red Sox. Ramírez has 780 RBIs in a Sox uniform but is not likely to catch Bobby Doerr (1,247) on the all-time Sox list. Overall, Ramírez has 1,594 RBIs, two away from tying Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for 30th on the all-time list.

While there are statistical analysts who argue that the RBI is a dubious measure of a hitter's production, because it is so dependent on a player's teammates to get on base, Ramírez has a chance to become only the fourth player in history to drive in 100 or more runs in 10 straight seasons. The others are Hall of Famers: Foxx (13), Lou Gehrig (13), and Al Simmons (11).

What is in some jeopardy is Ramírez's streak of 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons. He has done it nine straight times. Foxx holds the record at 12; A-Rod already has made it 10 straight seasons.

In the pre-expansion era (154-game season), players drove in more runs than games played 27 times, including three Sox players. Ted Williams and Vern Stephens both drove in 159 runs apiece in 1949, while Foxx drove in 175 in 1938.

Ramírez also has played in 115 of the team's first 118 games, the most of any Sox player. He had played in 150 or more games three straight seasons until last season, when he played in 122 of the first 126 games, then shut down over the last six weeks because of what the team called right knee tendinitis.

On the downside, Ramírez is tied for the AL lead in grounding into double plays with 19, matching Aaron Hill of the Blue Jays and Mark Teahen of the Royals.

Dustin Pedroia was given the day off, Francona said, because the Sox "want to see if he can finish the season over 120 pounds." Alex Cora played second, making only his fifth start since the All-Star break, and went 1 for 4 . . . Coco Crisp sat out a second straight game and had blood work done by the Red Sox medical staff to confirm that he has a virus. "We gave Coco a day off last week because he'd gotten to the point that he was about fried," said Francona, suggesting that fatigue might have something to do with Crisp's condition. "We hope to run him back out there as soon as we can, especially with a lefty [Scott Kazmir] going." . . . Hideki Okajima was among those who welcomed the Gagné trade, but his performance has suffered since it was made. Okajima has appeared in six games and has put runners on base in four of them. He is 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA (3 ER in 5 1/3 IP), allowing four hits, including a home run, and a walk, with opposing batters hitting .222. In the 47 games before the trade, Okajima was 2-0 with an 0.87 ERA (5 ER in 51 2/3 IP), with opposing batters hitting .168.

Twenty-eight saves may seem a modest total, especially for an entire season, but last night Jonathan Papelbon became the first Sox reliever to have back-to-back seasons of 28 or more saves. Papelbon had 35 last season . . . Bobby Kielty, trying to win a promotion to the Red Sox, hit his second home run in a week in Pawtucket's 8-6 win over Syracuse last night. Kielty has hit safely in his last five games for Pawtucket, batting .350 (7 for 20) after going hitless in six trips in a doubleheader, his first action since signing a Triple A contract a week ago Monday. There were indications last night the Sox were closing in on a deal with a National League team for Wily Mo Peña, but they still had some work to do before anything was consummated, and they had not informed Kielty of an impending move . . . Meanwhile, PawSox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury had two more hits last night, extending his hitting streak to 10 games since he returned from a groin injury. Ellsbury, who has had seven multihit games in his streak, is batting .442 (19 for 43) since coming back Aug. 5 . . . The Red Sox' 10 shutouts this season tie Seattle for most in the AL.

Gordon Edes can be reached at edes@globe.com.