Relief in sight? Timlin returns to bullpen

NEW YORK - An inquisitor with an obviously advanced baseball IQ suggested to Mike Timlin yesterday it had to be good getting people out, whether it was for Triple A Pawtucket, where Timlin just returned from three rehab outings in which he retired all nine batters he faced, or in the big leagues.

Timlin fixed his questioner with a look, one that said: You're asking a 42-year-old man who has been pitching in the big leagues since 1991 that question?

"I'd much rather be getting people out up here," he said.

The Sox could use someone in their bullpen to do so. While closer Jonathan Papelbon has languished unused - he hasn't pitched in the last six games - the pen has allowed 16 hits and 14 runs (13 ER) in 10 innings over the last five games (11.70 ERA). Relievers have taken losses in three of the last five Red Sox defeats - Manny Delcarmen, David Aardsma, and Craig Hansen, with Hideki Okajima blowing the save in the Aardsma loss.

The pen already has been charged with 15 defeats, one more than in 2007, which is why the Sox are expected to look for veteran relief help before the July 31 trading deadline, with Colorado lefthander Brian Fuentes already drawing lots of mention.

Before Timlin was sent to Pawtucket on a rehab assignment with what was diagnosed as left knee tendinitis, he was part of the problem. In 24 appearances, he has a 3-3 record and 7.06 ERA, and opposing hitters are whacking him at a .322 pace, by far the highest average on the staff.

Realistically, Timlin may be pitching for his baseball life, which also was the case in 2007, when he had a 6.48 ERA through June 25, then turned it around with a strong finishing kick, getting scored upon in only three of his last 34 appearances (2.09 ERA, 9 ER in 38 2/3 IP) while all but relinquishing the eighth inning to Okajima.

The Sox have strong young arms that could figure in the bullpen mix down the stretch (Justin Masterson, Chris Smith, perhaps Michael Bowden), while general manager Theo Epstein shops for a better deal than he made at the last trading deadline, when Eric Gagné flamed out after being acquired from Texas.

Manager Terry Francona expressed continued confidence in Delcarmen and Hansen, but Okajima's ongoing struggles and the relative inexperience of the righthanded power arms suggest some tinkering is in order. "They'll be fine," Timlin said of Delcarmen, who had gone a full month (May 27-June 27) without allowing an earned run, and Hansen, who at times has been spectacular but has been scored upon in 10 of his 26 appearances. Neither Delcarmen nor Hansen was able to retire a batter when the Rays scored six runs in the seventh inning Wednesday night.

Healthy return?

Although Manny Ramírez's tender right hamstring appears to be improving - he scored from first on Kevin Youkilis's double in Houston and sped from first to third against the Rays - he went without a hit in 11 at-bats (five K's) in Tropicana Field, a place he normally rakes with great success.

"For whatever reason now, the fastball is beating him a little bit," Francona said of Ramírez, batting .169 in his last 17 games (10 for 59), and homering once in his last 18 games. "When that happens, you start cheating a little bit. But I've seen this place get him healthy before, and I hope it happens again."

In 33 games against the Yankees since the start of the 2006 season, Ramírez was batting .478 (55 for 115) with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs. He has hit at least one home run in 10 straight seasons at Yankee Stadium.

Ramírez hit into a force play and walked before singling in the fifth last night, ending an 0-for-12 streak.

Immediate impact

Coco Crisp came off his five-game suspension and made an immediate impact, singling and scoring in his first two at-bats. "You do feel like you're playing shorthanded," Francona said of life without Coco. Crisp played center field last night, with Ramírez serving as DH . . . Francona confirmed that Masterson will start tomorrow afternoon, while Clay Buchholz (4-0, 0.40 in his last four starts in Pawtucket) takes his next turn for the PawSox the same day. Francona said switching them was never considered. "We want to get Clay ironed out," said Francona, who has said Buchholz was sent down to refine his fastball command. Judging by the results, there is little more Buchholz needs to do in Triple A, but Francona said other factors came into play, including the organization's desire to rejigger the rotation after the All-Star break to give some starters extra rest . . . The Sox announced the signing of five players at the start of the international 16-year-old signing period: lefthanded pitcher Hansel Suero, righthanded pitcher Enrique Cuevas, catcher Ali Gonzalez, catcher Oscar Perez, and third baseman Juan Vargas. Suero is from the Dominican Republic; the others are from Venezuela.