Ramirez gets down time from Francona

Jonathan Papelbon was dealt his third loss of the season when NY scored in the 10th. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - Before he even threw a pitch last night, Yankees starter Joba Chamberlain registered a punchout.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona kept Manny Ramírez out of the starting lineup, even though Ramírez, just named an All-Star for the 12th time, has worn out the Yankees more than any other team he has faced in his career, with 55 home runs and 160 RBIs.

That's testament to how poorly Ramírez has been swinging the bat: .111 (2 for 18) in his last six games, .167 and 4 RBIs on this trip, .185 (12 for 65) in his last 20 games. And by Francona's reckoning before the game, that didn't figure to change against a power blaster like Chamberlain, whom Ramírez never had faced.

"Give Manny a night just to work with Mags [hitting coach Dave Magadan] a little bit, and take a blow," the manager said.

"Having his name in that lineup is very reassuring, but I think it's a good night [for Ramírez to sit] the way that kid has been throwing the ball, and the way Manny's been swinging at certain type pitchers. He's still sitting over there, giving Joe [ Girardi] something to think about. Good night to do it. We're probably going to get home at 4 in the morning, guys are feeling it a little bit, a long trip."

Ramírez ended up pinch hitting in the ninth, taking three straight strikes from Mariano Rivera.

Having some fun before the game, Francona had said about Ramírez, "Even though the name's not in there, the lineup doesn't look as sexy, but [Sean ] Casey probably will give us three good at-bats."

Casey feigned indignation at the "sexy" remark.

"It's tough being as sexy as Manny," he said, "because I don't have the same hair."

Casey has had only five at-bats since June 18, the last time he started for the Sox and went 2 for 5 with a double in a 7-4 win against the Phillies, and does not have a hit in that span. The transition to being a part-time player for the first time in his career has not been easy for Casey. He has hit well as a starter - he had a .380 average (35 for 92) in 26 starts going into last night's game, with 9 doubles, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of .914, but is batting just .200 (3 for 15) with a double when coming off the bench.

And he was still looking for his first home run for the Sox after 107 at-bats.

Francona batted Mike Lowell in the cleanup spot, moved Kevin Youkilis into Lowell's usual No. 5 hole, and had Casey batting sixth, the spot in which Youkilis usually hits.

Ramírez, who religiously works on his hitting, was flippant before the game about the notion that he would be using the night off to do any extra work with Magadan.

"What do I need to work on?" he said before the game. "I've got 16 home runs, 53 RBIs, I'm there. What do you want me to do?

"I'm going to relax. That's what I'm working on, listening to music now. Relax."

First responder

The first person in the organization to be officially informed of the Sox' All-Star selections? Jack McCormick, the team's traveling secretary. It's part of baseball tradition that a team's traveling secretary be the first told of the selections.

Upon his arrival in New York Thursday, McCormick was given a stack of sealed envelopes, printed with the words, "A Special All-Star Invitation from the Commissioner of Baseball." He gave them to the Yankees' traveling secretary, Ben Tuliebitz, to lock up at Yankee Stadium. There were no names of the recipients, of course, on the envelopes.

Around 9 yesterday morning, McCormick said, he received a phone call from MLB vice president Phyllis Merhige with the names of the seven Sox selected to the team. He then called Francona, who had worked with Merhige in finalizing the selections, then called general manager Theo Epstein in Boston to inform him of the selections.

"It's funny," McCormick said, "that I should know before the general manager of the team."

Then, timing his calls with the All-Star selection show aired by TBS, McCormick called the Sox players picked for the team. He reached J.D. Drew, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, and Youkilis by phone. David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, and Ramírez, he told at the park.

He then passed out the envelopes, which contained a letter of congratulations from Bud Selig, an itinerary of All-Star festivities and information about accommodations and ticket allotments, and special All-Star leather baggage tags.

Foes now friends

Francona said one of the highlights for him to manage this year's All-Star Game will be the presence of Derek Jeter on the AL squad. Jeter was not on the team in 2005 when Francona managed the AL stars in Detroit. "I know people don't want to hear that," Francona said. "I will tell him that after he goes 0 for 4 [last night]."

"It means a lot," Jeter said. "Terry has always been real nice with me away from the field. Obviously I've played against him a lot. Maybe I should tell him to take it easy on me when we face them from now on.

"I think there's a mutual respect there, we play each other so much. When I heard he felt that way the first time, it meant a lot to me. Fortunately this time I'll have the opportunity to play for him at least one day."

Damon on DL

The Yankees placed Johnny Damon on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left shoulder, replacing him on the roster with Triple A outfielder Justin Christian. Another rookie, Brett Gardner, started in left field again last night, and ended up with the game-winning hit. "I really don't know what I have to do now," the 34-year-old Damon, who is batting .319, told reporters. "Every day in my career when I went to the ballpark, I actually felt like I could get in the game somehow. Even [Saturday], I was getting ready to get my shoes on in case I needed to run for [Jason ] Giambi or something late. There's no way I can get in this ballgame [last night]." Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he didn't expect Damon's absence to be long term.

Amalie Benjamin and Nick Cafardo of the Globe staff contributed to this report; Gordon Edes can be reached at edes@globe.com.