Byrd focused on job all night

NEW YORK - It didn't really bother him. So Paul Byrd just ignored the laser pointer flashing past his eyes and continued pitching.

It did, however, seem to bother the umpires. So they convened at the mound to ask Byrd where it was coming from - it was the lower deck of Yankee Stadium - and told him if it started to annoy him, he should let them know. But after that, Byrd said, the light mostly disappeared. The perpetrator, however, doesn't seem to have been caught.

"I don't think we ever found him," Byrd said. "He's still at large."

Despite the laser, Byrd kept the Yankees at bay last night long enough to put the ball in the hands of the Red Sox bullpen with a lead, pitching six innings of two-run ball. He did his job, in other words, and became the first pitcher since Steve Trachsel in 2000 to beat the Yankees for two teams (Cleveland and Boston) in one season, according to the Elias Sports Bureaus.

His style was a bit different this time. Byrd threw 15-20 curveballs among his 110 pitches in the 11-3 win, a far greater percentage than he would have in the past. It helped him give batters another look, especially the lefthanders.

It's something he's been doing over the past month, after Twins broadcaster - and former All-Star pitcher - Bert Blyleven gave him a tip. Byrd "hunted him down," he said, and has had a better curveball since then.

"It's something I've been able to use more than just a show-me pitch," Byrd said. "I'm throwing it behind in the count for strikes. I've led people off with it, throwing it for strikes. And it hasn't left the park. I think it's something that's helped me against lefthanders. Being a righthanded sidearmer, at times you get a lineup full of lefthanders every time I take the mound. It's nice to not feel so naked out there when there's all these lefties coming up to the plate."

Casey tweaks neck
When Sean Casey attempted to hit Tuesday, he did more damage than good. Casey apparently aggravated his stiff neck, and remained on the bench. The first baseman hasn't played since last Thursday.

"It actually knocked him backwards a little bit," manager Terry Francona said yesterday.

While J.D. Drew was placed on the disabled list Tuesday, the team intends to wait with Casey.

"If there is [a chance for him to go on the DL], we're not going to do it yet," Francona said. "[General manager] Theo [Epstein] and I kind of talked through that today a little bit. We'd rather not. I think with a stiff neck, we feel like there's more of an opportunity for him to show up and feel better than with a back. So we're going to hold off on that one."

Smoother road
The Red Sox, who struggled on the road early this season, have won 10 of their last 14 away from Fenway Park . . . Mike Timlin gave up a solo homer to Jason Giambi in the ninth inning. That ended a 14 1/3-inning scoreless streak for the Red Sox bullpen . . . David Ortiz, who had two hits last night, is batting .352 with 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 15 RBIs, and 16 walks in his last 15 games.

In need of a save
Manny Delcarmen got the Sox into a tough situation Tuesday night. After striking out Ivan Rodriguez to begin the seventh inning, Delcarmen walked Johnny Damon, allowed a single to Derek Jeter, then walked Bobby Abreu. That led to Justin Masterson coming on to get Alex Rodriguez to ground into an inning-ending double play. "Obviously, the stuff is there," Francona said of Delcarmen. "The stuff can be dynamite, with three pitches that can be dominating. We look at last night, he threw two pitches by Pudge [Rodriguez], they were 96, one might have been 97. Pretty good location, off the plate. I know Johnny had hit a couple home runs, but if he hit a home run, it didn't matter. We had the lead. Sometimes it's a work in progress." . . . To make room for Mark Kotsay on the 25- and 40-man rosters, Joe Thurston was designated for assignment. Thurston said he would try to hook on with another major league team. If not, he's likely to end up back with Pawtucket.

Try, try again
Bartolo Colon, who struggled Tuesday in his latest rehab outing, will make another one Sunday in Triple A. Even if he can only go, say, 75 pitches for the big club after that, there's a bit more leeway when it becomes September, Francona said. A four-inning outing, for example, is not nearly as devastating to a bullpen when rosters are expanded . . . Jed Lowrie made his first major league error Tuesday night. He had handled 154 chances at third base, second base, and shortstop without one . . . With instant replay making its debut for the Red Sox tomorrow, Francona said his preference would be to have an extra member of the officiating crew at the stadium watching on a monitor at all times. "I know they don't care what I think," he said. "It would take 10 seconds. They have the ability to look at a replay, just like everybody in the clubhouse does. It would be over, and it would be a great teaching tool for younger umpires that come in the league, give some umpires days off as they get into the grind. They can watch what we're watching. They put up with nine innings of us screaming. Maybe we're wrong. Maybe there's days we have a point." . . . The Sox announced that righthanded pitchers T.J. Large, Ryan Lawson, and Beau Vaughan and catcher Mark Wagner will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League.