A balk - from an outfielder

Kielty takes time to weigh options

LOS ANGELES - Like his fellow itinerant travelers on the Red Sox, a team that is rumored to be returning home sometime before Theo Epstein's infant son reaches voting age, Bobby Kielty had his bags packed following yesterday's 8-0 exhibition loss here to the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.

But unlike his big-league teammates, who were headed for Oakland, Calif., to resume the regular season tomorrow night against the Athletics, or the minor league add-ons who filled in this weekend and now will scatter to their respective rosters, Kielty is uncertain of where he is headed.

The 31-year-old outfielder, whose eighth-inning single was Boston's only hit yesterday, has until today to exercise an "out" clause in his contract that would allow him to become a free agent because he is not on the team's 25-man roster. On Saturday, Kielty said he told Epstein he would accept an assignment to Triple A Pawtucket, ready to bide his time until the Sox opened a roster spot, presumably by trading center fielder Coco Crisp.

But yesterday, Kielty asked Epstein for another day to consider his options. Kielty's agent called, telling him he might have a spot for him on another big league team.

"I thought for sure [I'd go to Pawtucket], but now I don't know," Kielty said. "The only reason I'd go is if I have a job somewhere else. I don't want to go [to another team], but there are teams out there that could use an outfielder. I'm going to stay here a couple of days - my family is here - then I plan to fly to Boston on the second unless something happens in the next 24 hours."

Epstein said after the game he understands why Kielty asked for more time. "Someone in his position should take the time to see if he has a major league opportunity," Epstein said.

Manager Terry Francona, who said he has spoken with Kielty at length, is hopeful Kielty elects to stay. "The truth," Francona said when asked what he said to Kielty. "We really like him. He knows that. We've got a situation. We told him the first day in spring training, we really like you but some things have to break right for you to be on this team.

"It's tough on him. He's got kids; he's got to worry about his career."

A bit out of tune

Clay Buchholz delivered mixed results in his final tuneup before his first regular-season start Saturday in Toronto's Rogers Centre. Buchholz set down the first six batters he faced, including consecutive strikeouts of Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, Jeff Kent, and James Loney, then got hit with a four-spot in the third and was gone after walking the first two in the fourth. Buchholz threw 70 pitches, 43 for strikes.

The Dodgers' rally included two infield hits and a dropped fly ball by Crisp, who lost the ball in the sun. Buchholz walked Martin to force home a run, Ethier singled home two more, and Kent singled in the final run of the inning. Buchholz finished the spring with a 1-3 record and 10.03 ERA.

"Regardless of who it is, it is still spring [training] and sometimes it's real easy for me to forget that," Francona said.

"His stuff is good. I think he's still gaining arm strength on his fastball."

Beckett vs. Jays?

The Sox have yet to decide officially whether ace Josh Beckett will pitch Sunday in Toronto, following Tim Wakefield Friday night and Buchholz. Beckett is scheduled to throw a camp game tomorrow in Fort Myers, Fla. Francona implied that barring a setback, Beckett will be ready to face the Blue Jays.

"The reports have been so good," Francona said, "and I've talked to him a ton. He'll be fine. It'll be a nice lift for all of us [to get him back], and a lift for him, too."

Francona said Beckett may have some concerns about going deep into the game, but said with the Sox having an offday the following day, overtaxing the bullpen is not an issue.

Beckett has not started for the Sox since being scratched from a March 8 start in Fort Myers after experiencing back spasms throwing warmup pitches prior to a start against the Marlins.

Drawn-out process

Francona expressed some frustration regarding the availability of outfielder J.D. Drew, who has not played in a week because of back tightness. Drew, who missed the two regular-season games against the Athletics in Tokyo and all three games here, took batting practice and some fly balls in the outfield before the game. Francona said he hopes to know whether Drew can play tomorrow night after the Sox hold a full-squad workout this afternoon in Oakland. "He started to feel good, but he didn't hit [Saturday]. I thought he'd hit, but he didn't feel ready to hit. I definitely think he feels better. It puts me in a little bit of a bind, because it makes it harder for me to make a judgment: OK, first of all, is he ready to play, and is he ready to help us win?" Jacoby Ellsbury started all three games in right field in Drew's absence. "I'm hoping to play [vs. the A's]," Drew said. "I just want to make sure I don't have a negative reaction."

Delcarmen OK

Trainer Paul Lessard and Francona ran onto the field in the eighth after reliever Manny Delcarmen fell down on a line drive back to the box, but he was OK. "It was a changeup off the bat and hit his glove, and then he got real athletic," Francona said, a joking reference to the throw Delcarmen rolled to first base while prone. "It just looked so bad I figured something had to be hurt. He's OK. He was laughing about it." . . . Japanese import Hiroki Kuroda struck out six Sox - four in a row - during four dominating innings, before he was replaced by lefty phenom Clayton Kershaw, who was as dominating yesterday as he'd been against the Sox in Vero Beach, striking out five - including David Ortiz on a wicked curveball - in four innings. Kershaw surrendered the single by Kielty with one out in the eighth . . . Javier Lopez, fighting to retain his spot in the bullpen, allowed a run on a couple of bunts, a walk of a lefthanded hitter, and a double-play ball. David Aardsma, trying to win that spot, walked the first two batters in the seventh, both of whom scored . . . Jonathan Papelbon had a souvenir baseball from the weekend, but had one regret: "Pamela Anderson messed up her autograph. I guess her pen wasn't working." . . . Catcher Jason Varitek was hitless in two at-bats but put the ball in play both times after striking out in nine of his previous 11 plate appearances. Varitek noted he only recently has begun sleeping with any regularity after the trip to Japan . . . The Red Sox signed free agent righthanded pitcher Terumasa Matsuo from the independent Shikoku Island League in Japan . . . Saturday night's celebration at the Coliseum, which drew a record-setting crowd of 115,300, was marred by a breakdown in transportation that left thousands of fans waiting hours for buses to take them back to Dodger Stadium . . . The Dodgers placed third basemen Nomar Garciaparra on the 15-day DL.

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