With knee aching, Ortiz is given a break

Surprised Sox reliever Bryan Corey flags down a comebacker by Tampa Bay's Akinori Iwamura in the seventh inning. (JIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF)

He was lighthearted enough to pass along his theories on being a designated hitter - not suited for a family audience - yet David Ortiz conceded yesterday that his absence from the Red Sox lineup was about more than just a simple day of rest. His right knee, the one in which a torn meniscus has bothered him for much of the season, isn't feeling its best.

"Man, my knee's been hurting again," Ortiz said. "I don't know. I guess a day off [is] never bad. I was missing a lot of pitches [Sunday]."

At the same time, Ortiz confirmed that he will be having surgery on the knee after the season. Though he doesn't have firm plans in place, work will be done in the offseason.

"I definitely have to," he said. "Otherwise I'm going to be going through this next year again and I don't feel like it. And it might get worse. I'm not getting any younger."

With Scott Kazmir on the mound last night for the Devil Rays, Ortiz didn't seem to mind taking a seat (he is 5 for 34 lifetime against Kazmir), though he doesn't generally enjoy days off.

Since Manny Ramírez is still out with a strained left oblique, that left Dustin Pedroia as the No. 3 hitter in place of Ortiz, Mike Lowell at No. 4, and Bobby Kielty at No. 5. Julio Lugo filled in at DH and batted leadoff (he quipped, "We've got a real DH - power and everything," in the direction of Ortiz before the game).

"I've been trying not to force it too much," Ortiz said. "Try to run when I have to. If I don't really have to, I just try to slow down because every time I put pressure on it, it bothers me."

Though manager Terry Francona pulled back after using the word "desperately" to describe how much Ortiz needs rest, he acknowledged that Ortiz could use the day off, even with the difficulty it created in setting up the lineup.

Ortiz, who grounded out in the ninth as a pinch hitter, is 8 for 21 (.381) over his last six games, with three doubles, two home runs, and four RBIs. He has seven home runs and 18 RBIs in his last 16 games. With his recent hot streak, Ortiz is up to .318. His highest average for a season was .301 in 2004.

"It's a pain you kind of get used to," Ortiz said, adding that it began again last week before the team went to Baltimore. "But at one point whenever you force something, it tightens up on you again. I've been feeling it in my hamstring, too. So I'll chill out today."

Tee time

Ramírez took 15 swings off the tee before the game, though the team still has no timetable on his return; he has been out since Aug. 28. "He's still a little tender to the touch, but he's able to do the work," Francona said. "He'll continue to be examined by the medical staff. We need to get that soreness out of there before you can turn him loose with all that torque that swinging involves. Controlled is one thing; doing it, even in BP or a game, is still another. We're not quite there yet." . . . Coco Crisp continued to add to his reputation for defensive excellence with another stellar catch up against the wall in center field in the ninth. And, adding to that, Crisp managed (with help from Alex Cora) to nab Delmon Young at first base for a double play, even though he said he was playing shallow on Brendan Harris. "AC had some great footwork there," Crisp said. "My throw was on a line but off-line. He had good footwork to get over there and quick release to give us a chance to make that play." Crisp helped burnish his résumé for a possible Gold Glove. And he wouldn't mind the accolades. "It still would be nice to get some hardware, be able to show my grandchildren one day," he said.

10 in a row

Though Jacoby Ellsbury had a difficult meeting with the Wall on Greg Norton's double in the fifth inning - and was doubled off first after running on Cora's liner to center field in the bottom of the inning - he also extended his hitting streak to 10 games. He's hitting .400 (14 for 35) over that time. That didn't make his back hurt any less, though. "When you go into the Wall, you know you might hit something," Ellsbury said. "That's just a part of the Green Monster you have to deal with. It's not going to give, running into steel. I've hit plenty of walls before. I'm sure it's not going to be the last time." . . . This was the Sox' first 1-0 loss at Fenway Park since Sept. 2, 2001, a game in which Mike Mussina had a perfect game until pinch hitter Carl Everett singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth . . . With his 1,003d appearance, Mike Timlin passed Rich Gossage for 12th place all-time.

Shirt off his back

With the weather turning cooler (62 degrees at game time), Ellsbury looks fully prepared. But the sleeve he wears on his left (throwing) arm isn't a recent installation. It's an unattached sleeve, almost like a leg warmer for the arm, that he pulls on under his uniform. "It started in Portland, the start of the year was so cold," Ellsbury said. "I don't like wearing sleeves. Just playing in Portland, it was so cold, I just wanted to keep my arm warm, my throwing arm warm. I don't like the bulk of wearing a long-sleeve shirt. Had success there, so I just kept on wearing it." . . . Daisuke Matsuzaka will work on some things in his side session today before facing the Yankees in his next start. While Francona offered little more than he did over the weekend after Matsuzaka's ugly outing against the Orioles, he said, "In the nutshell of trying to keep it simple, I think when the ballpark's getting loud and the game's getting fast, he's [throwing] hard. And sometimes hard, harder, hardest sometimes isn't necessarily the best, if you're able to throttle back and throw all your pitches."

Not on his plate

Doug Mirabelli, having hurt his hamstring coming back from a strained calf muscle, is improving, according to Francona, but he will not be ready to catch Tim Wakefield tonight. Kevin Cash will catch in his place . . . While an Associated Press report indicated that the A's and Red Sox were "lined up" to face each other in Tokyo to start the 2008 season, a team source said there still has been no formal invitation and no decision has been made regarding a trip to Japan. The Sox remain a top candidate to face the A's at the Tokyo Dome . . . Manny Delcarmen returned early to Boston from Baltimore to witness the birth of his first child. Manuel Delcarmen III (7 pounds, 3 ounces) was born Sunday . . . The fifth September 11 Day of Remembrance Blood Drive will be held today at Fenway Park from 6 a.m. to noon. Those interested in donating blood should enter through Gate D.