Game was a keeper for Velazquez, Kottaras

Daisuke Matsuzaka is the pitcher of solitude as he long tosses after yesterday's rainout. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

Gil Velazquez made the most satisfying walk of his career early yesterday morning, from Fenway Park to his hotel in Boston, surrounded by his family, a baseball in his hand. When they reached the hotel, Velazquez handed the ball to his youngest brother, Sergio.

"For me?" Sergio asked.

"No," Velazquez said. "That's for you to hold. I'm keeping it."

Velazquez, 28, had waited 11 years to acquire the baseball, the one that he had smacked off the Green Monster hours earlier for a single and the first major league hit of a career that began in 1998. Innings later, catcher George Kottaras clubbed his first hit as a big leaguer, a double into the left-field corner.

Friday night's 19-8 loss to the Yankees will be quickly forgotten by nearly everyone who watched it. But it gave Velazquez and Kottaras one of the most memorable moments of their lives.

"I'll never forget it," Kottaras said yesterday, standing in front of his locker. Over his shoulder rested the ball he drove for his first hit, inscribed with his name, the accomplishment, and the pitcher [Phil Coke] off whom he hit it.

"It's pretty sweet," Kottaras said.

Kottaras, 25, played his first game as a professional in 2003, at which point Velazquez had already languished in the minors for six seasons. Velazquez often wondered what would happen first: leaving the minors by his merits or leaving the game by necessity.

Said Velazquez, "I think everybody, if you're in this game long enough, goes through a time where you start telling yourself, 'Is it worth it for me and my loved ones? I'm not making much money.' But now that I'm here, it's definitely worth it."

Velazquez came to bat for the first time in the second inning, his mother, three brothers, uncle and aunt, and his wife, Claudia, who has been with him his entire career, watching from the stands. The sparse crowd realized Velazquez was coming to bat for the first time. They rose and cheered.

Velazquez heard the ovation "and I got a little goose bumps," he said. Velazquez swung too early at the first fastball Alfredo Aceves threw him and grounded out. In his next at-bat, he calmed down and rifled a ball off the Monster. He made a wide turn, then retreated to first base.

Jason Giambi greeted him with congratulations. Several other Yankees, including former minor league teammate Xavier Nady, did the same as the night passed. (After Kottaras's hit, Giambi flagged the ball down and made sure it was taken out of play. "He's a guy that gets it," Kottaras said.)

Velazquez found Kottaras later in the dugout. They shared a fist-pump and chatted about their shared accomplishment.

"It was awesome," Velazquez said. "It's crazy how we both did it on the same night."

Friday night "was a miserable night in a lot of ways," manager Terry Francona said. "But you see those two guys getting their hits. It amazes me, the crowd. Then [Velazquez] got his hit and our whole dugout kind of erupted.

"Our dugout wasn't real energetic. I mean, we're getting our [butt] kicked, guys were hurt, it was raining. It just was a bad night.

"But everybody was real excited for those two, myself included. They shouldn't ever apologize for being excited on a night when we're down by 12 and they get their first major league hit. They shouldn't have to act like they don't enjoy it."

Stopping the starters
In Game 1 of today's doubleheader, Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was schedule to start Friday night and yesterday, will face Mike Mussina, who is trying to win 20 games for the first time in a career marked by near-misses. In Game 2, Tim Wakefield will oppose Sidney Ponson.

Both Red Sox pitchers will make truncated starts, Francona said, to stay fresh for the playoffs.

"If we get interrupted [by rain]," Francona said, "we'll make adjustments."

Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 1:35 p.m., Game 2 at 7:35. Tickets for yesterday's rained-out game will be good for the game tonight. NESN will televise both games.

The pregame ceremony to retire Johnny Pesky's No. 6, originally scheduled for Friday night, will be held before Game 1, at roughly 1:15 p.m.

Stealing a glance back
Jacoby Ellsbury became the third Red Sox player to steal 50 bases in a season Friday night, an occasion he regretted he had not celebrated more - he wished yesterday he had kept the base. "It felt good," Ellsbury said. "You just never know if you can get it with three games left, if you're not going to play, or it's going to get rained out. It was nice to get that." Tommy Harper stole 54 bases in 1973, and Tris Speaker stole 52 in 1912. Ellsbury's milestone swipe came in the midst of his offensive resurgence. He is slugging .533 during September, more than 100 points higher than his season percentage. "I knew I was going to break out of this at some point," Ellsbury said. "I've hit my whole life. It was just a matter of time. I hit last year. It really wasn't pitchers making adjustments to me. It was just me getting my timing back. That was the biggest thing."

Title fight
Twins catcher Joe Mauer enters the final day of the regular season with a .330 batting average, 5 points better than Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia still has a shot at the batting title. If he goes, say, 5 for 8 today, he'll finish with a .328 average; 6 for 8 would put him at .330 . . . There will be a pep rally at Fenway Park tomorrow at 3:30 p.m., featuring the ownership group, Francona, and several players. The event is free, and fans can enter through Gate D. The first 2,500 will receive a coupon for a free hot dog and soda. The event will be broadcast live on NESN . . . Francona was asked if he kept the ball from his first major league hit. "I think so," he said. "I'm not sure. In the move up here . . . there's a lot of [expletive] in the basement."

Adam Kilgore can be reached at akilgore@globe.com