Ramirez crossed the line

He got nabbed . . . jaywalking

SEATTLE - Terry Francona reacted decisively when told that Manny Ramírez had been apprehended jaywalking by one of Seattle's finest while leaving the ballpark after Monday night's game.

"That's the last straw," the Red Sox manager declared. "He's not playing."

Francona, of course, was joking. He mentioned he's had a couple of jaywalking episodes here himself, though he was never ticketed. "They started yelling at me and I didn't know what was going on," he said. "I said, 'OK, I'll walk faster.'

"In Boston, they yell at you when you don't walk."

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times was just packing up in the Safeco Field press box Monday when he received a call from a newsroom colleague, who happened to be at the game and witnessed the exchange between Ramírez and the police officer, who evidently didn't know the identity of his collar. He let Ramírez off with a few stern words instead of a fine.

The episode, naturally, quickly spread on the Internet and was picked up by ESPN.

Ramírez took it all in stride. "Don't worry about it," he said.

Ramírez has had a productive trip, with 7 hits in 14 at-bats, including a homer and 2 doubles, good for 2 RBIs. He has hit in 10 straight games (.500, 18 for 36), with multiple hits in six.

He's gathering moss

Entering last night's game, Brandon Moss had yet to bat this trip; he has made one appearance, as a pinch runner for Ramírez Monday, since play resumed after the All-Star break. Since his recall June 5, he has played in 28 games, starting 12, and has a seven-game hitting streak (.458, 11 for 24) that began June 30.

But while the playing time has been sparse, Moss said he does not feel his development has been hindered by being here instead of playing every day in Pawtucket.

"I don't think it's hurt, it's helped," Moss said. "I take fly balls at all three outfield positions, take ground balls at first base, get my swings in. I've had to prove myself at every level in the minor leagues, and now that I'm here, I want to prove I can help as a bench player."

Moss has played winter ball the last two seasons, but hasn't made that decision for this winter. "Right now I'm focused on helping this team this season," he said. "But next year is a huge year for me. I'll be out of options, so I have to make the team coming out of spring training.

"I want to be in the big leagues, preferably with this team. I love being with these guys. This is the only system I've ever known, but it's a great team. I don't have any doubts in myself. I have the utmost confidence in myself."

Matchups set

The pitching matchups for the Yankees series are set: On Friday night, Josh Beckett will face Joba Chamberlain; Saturday afternoon it's Tim Wakefield vs. Andy Pettitte; and Sunday night Jon Lester faces Sidney Ponson . . . The Sox inquired about reliever Jon Rauch before he was traded by Washington to Arizona, but the Nationals were asking for top prospects Michael Bowden and Jed Lowrie . . . Coco Crisp broke an 0-for-21 slump with a single Monday night, but was flip-flopped in the batting order with Lowrie, who hit seventh and Crisp ninth . . . The Sox are 6-0 in games after being swept, with Lester pitching 16 1/3 scoreless innings combined in the last two such games . . . For all the Sox' problems away from home, they lead the league in on-base percentage (.338) and slugging percentage (.425) in road games . . . Dustin Pedroia has a 23-game road hitting streak, just one off Nomar Garciaparra's streak in 1998, the longest by a Sox player since 1956. The second baseman has seven multihit games in his last nine . . . Jonathan Papelbon became the first Sox player to record 30 or more saves in three consecutive seasons.