Yes, that's Manny Ramirez you see in the lineup, for the first time since Sept. 9. He's in at designated hitter, giving David Ortiz a day off, before he'll likely play tomorrow. Manager Terry Francona isn't sure whether Manny will make a reappearance tomorrow yet.

Also, Jonathan Papelbon threw to hitters off the mound today. Everything went well, with Papelbon getting to throw all his pitches. He seemed pretty excited about getting the work in, and getting prepared for his offseason.

That's about it here.

The lineups...

Red Sox
1. Dustin Pedroia, SS
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. Mike Lowell, 3B
4. Manny Ramirez, DH
5. Wily Mo Pena, CF
6. Trot Nixon, RF
7. Doug Mirabelli, C
8. Gabe Kapler, LF
9. Carlos Pena, 1B

SP Tim Wakefield

Orioles
1. Chris Gomez, 2B
2. Melvin Mora, 3B
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Miguel Tejada, SS
5. Jay Gibbons, DH
6. Ramon Hernandez, C
7. Kevin Millar, 1B
8. David Newhan, CF
9. Jeff Fiorentino, LF

SP Adam Loewen

Though manager Terry Francona had mentioned that today might be an option for seeing Manny Ramirez back in the lineup, apparently it was not meant to be. Ramirez got to the park at 10:30 a.m., and seems to be trying to make it back on the field, according to Francona. But that won't happen, at least in the starting lineup, tonight.

Jonathan Papelbon, meanwhile, will throw off flat ground today, and might face some hitters tomorrow. Francona seemed to be impressed with how Papelbon pitched on flat ground the other day, calling it "nice and fluid with movement."

Matt Clement showed up in the clubhouse today, though Francona said he looked "haggard." That's to be expected after the extensive surgery he endured just days ago.

Meanwhile, old friend Kevin Millar showed up and took Francona's office hostage. Sitting in Francona's chair, Millar threatened to make out the 2007 lineup -- with himself in it.

And, with that, the lineups...

Red Sox
1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Wily Mo Pena, CF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Trot Nixon, RF
8. Gabe Kapler, LF
9. Dustin Pedroia, SS

SP Julian Tavarez

Orioles
1. Brian Roberts, 2B
2. Melvin Mora, 3B
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Miguel Tejada, SS
5. Jay Gibbons, DH
6. Ramon Hernandez, C
7. Corey Patterson, CF
8. Kevin Millar, 1B
9. David Newhan, LF

SP Erik Bedard

The Red Sox will play their 2007 home opener on Tuesday, April 10 against the Seattle Mariners. The Old Towne Team's season begins on the road eight days earlier on Monday, April 2 in Kansas City.

The team released its 2007 schedule today and along with the following details:

All fans attending the season-ending three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park will receive a copy of the Red Sox 2007 Preliminary Schedule.

The Red Sox will play a total of 73 games with their A.L. East Division rivals, 19 with Tampa Bay and 18 each with Baltimore, New York, and Toronto. The Sox and Yankees have three weekend series at Fenway Park, April 20-22; July 1-3; and September 14-16. Boston travels to Yankee Stadium for a weekend series, April 27-29 and a pair of mid-week series, May 21-23 and August 28-30.

After opening the season with a six-game roadtrip to Kansas City and Texas, Boston’s first homestand runs from April 10-16 and features three games with the Mariners and four contests with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Red Sox’ longest homestand of 2007 takes place just after the All-Star break, when the club is home for 11 straight days from July 12-22. In that span Boston hosts Toronto for four games, Kansas City for three contests, and the Chicago White Sox for four. The Red Sox end the regular season at home, facing Oakland (2) and Minnesota (4), September 25-30.

Boston will have 18 games versus National League opponents, including home and home three-game series with the Atlanta Braves, May 18-20 at Fenway Park and June 18-20 at Turner Field. The Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants come to Boston for three games each from June 12-17. It will be the Giants’ first trip ever to Fenway Park. The Red Sox travel to Arizona for the first time to take on the Diamondbacks, June 8-10 and also visit San Diego, June 22-24.

The Red Sox are home on Mothers Day Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fathers Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day in 2007.

The Red Sox will announce game times for 2007 at a later date.

RED SOX 2007 SCHEDULE BY OPPONENTS BREAKDOWN

The Red Sox finally released a statement on Matt Clement's Tuesday surgery. It was as follows:

"Matt Clement underwent arthroscopic surgery by Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday to address ongoing issues with his right shoulder

"There was significant pathology or abnormality identified at the time of surgery which was addressed. Matt will begin by a period of rest following the procedure, which will be followed by an extensive rehabilitation process."

Much more on the surgery -- which Clement's agent, Barry Axelrod compared to that undergone by NFL quarterback Drew Brees -- can be found in tomorrow's Globe.

The Red Sox have not yet released any additional information about Matt Clement's condition to the media at this point. Theo Epstein did say earlier that was because Clement was still too groggy to speak to anyone.

Coco Crisp did make an appearance in the clubhouse this afternoon, complete with a cast over his hand and wrist that would probably pack a mean wallop. Crisp said he can feel a little throbbing in the finger at this point, but is very optimistic about his offseason workouts and the future. He will likely wear an aircast for a few weeks, and should be able to resume workouts to be on target for spring training.

Alex Gonzalez left Boston and the team last night not long after 6 p.m., the reason he was replaced in the lineup by Alex Cora. Gonzalez was called away because of an issue with his family, and headed down to Miami to be with his family last night. Manager Terry Francona said Gonzalez is not expected to come back, and doesn't need to come back.

That's about it. Any news on Clement's condition (or anything else) and we'll you that information as soon as possible.

And, with that, the lineups...

Red Sox
1. David Murphy, CF
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Wily Mo Pena, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Eric Hinske, 1B
8. Dustin Pedroia, SS
9. Alex Cora, 3B

SP Josh Beckett

(The Devil Rays have not yet announced their lineup.)

Curt Schilling today expounded upon remarks he made after last night’s game that seemingly shed a sliver of doubt about whether he was planning on returning to the team next season.

After earning his 15th win last night in what was his final start of a rocky 2006 for the Sox, Schilling made a comment that lifted some eyebrows: “If I come back next year, I know that the offseason will be the hardest offseason of my career…”

If?

In his weekly appearance on Boston sports radio WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan show this morning, Schilling apologized for the “slip up” and assured listeners that his comment did not mean he has decided to hang up his cleats.

“The last thing I would ever allow to happen would be for something like this, that might have been a decision I made, to go public before I talked to my wife,” Schilling said, “and Shonda and I have not talked at any length about this, nor do we plan to in the near future. I have a contract with the Red Sox for next year. I know that Woodward and Bernstein [WEEI’s Gerry Callahan and John Meterparel] here in the office think that I’m firing a shot across the bow at somebody but that’s not the case. That’s not something I would do and if I was going to do that I would have come out and said those exact words rather than trying to beat around the bush.”

Schilling, who will turn 40 in November, has consistently said that next season would be his last. The Sox ace also said he expects the team to make a big splash this offseason.

“I just don’t envision a scenario in which John Henry allows Theo Epstein to field a team that can’t win a World Series, and Mr. [Tom] Werner included,” Schilling said this morning. “I don’t see that happening. I don’t see the possibility ... when you’re dealing from the financial standpoint that this team deals from, everything’s a possibility, anybody’s a possibility. And I think that will be the case going into this winter.”

The pitcher also spoke about what drives him to return for one last season and what it would take to get him prepared for his fourth year in Boston.

"I'm not coming back here for the paycheck, on the priority list, that would be on the bottom,” he said. “I'm not coming back here to compete, because all I need to do is show up to compete. I'm coming back here to be the best. And to do that in my situation physically and mentally is going to take a lot more this winter than it's ever taken me before because this year was such an incredibly tumultuous season for me on a personal and on a team level, even more so. I certainly didn't expect to be shooting for win No. 15 in late September. That's an indicator to me personally how frustrating the season was."

Alex Gonzalez won't be playing tonight for personal reasons. Gonzalez was just pulled from the lineup, and will be replaced with Alex Cora at shortstop and in the No. 9 slot in the lineup.

Manny Ramirez was in and then out of the Red Sox starting lineup this afternoon. Manager Terry Francona said Ramirez expressed some "hesitancy" after the pair had a talk earlier today about whether or not the left fielder felt ready to start tonight's game. Francona added that they are shooting for him to be in the lineup on Friday, though even that is not assured.

Meanwhile, Matt Clement had exploratory surgery today with Dr. James Andrews. The team is hoping the surgery will determine the source of Clement's troubles throughout the season.

Coco Crisp's surgery went "terrific," Francona said. A pin was inserted into his left index finger to stabilize it. It has not yet been decided whether or not the pin will be permanent.

Also, two members of this weekend's rotation are set. Julian Tavarez will start on Friday, with Tim Wakefield coming back on Saturday. Francona will speak with Curt Schilling after his start tonight to determine if he will be the starter in the season's last game, on Sunday. Otherwise, Devern Hansack and Kason Gabbard might be possibilities.

And, with that, the lineup...

Red Sox
1. Kevin Youkilis, LF
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Trot Nixon, RF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Wily Mo Pena, CF
8. Eric Hinske, 1B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

SP Curt Schilling

(The Tampa Bay lineup was not posted when we left the clubhouse this afternoon.)

Toronto reliever Jason Frasor struck out David Ortiz to end Toronto's 5-0 win over the Sox, allowing the Blue Jays to move past the Sox into second place in the AL East. the last time the Sox were third this late in a season was Sept. 24, 2000.
The game was played in a snappy 2 hours 3 minutes, plenty of time left to watch MNF.

David Ortiz, who came into the game sharing the AL record with Babe Ruth for most HRs on the road, just hit one into the fifth deck, but foul, leading off the seventh.
He just took a called third strike, the second time tonight he has whiffed, He bounced to third in his other at-bat.

Blue Jays catcher Jason Phillips just doubled with 2 outs in the fifth, the first hit of the game off Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield,
It was the first hit of the game, period. The Sox through five do not have a hit off Toronto rookie Shaun Marcum.
And while I was typing this, Wake just walked Russ Adams and gave up a first-pitch home run to Alex Rios. 3-0, Jays.

Terry Francona said tomorrow may well be Curt Schilling's final start of the 2006 season. Tomorrow will be Schilling's 31st start of the season, and he is within three innings of the 200 mark for the ninth time in his career, an impressive achievement at his age and given what he went through last season, when he pitched just 93 1/3 innings. He has passed some significant milestones this season: 200 wins, 3000 K's, 3,000 innings and 400 starts, and while he has struggled here at the end--0-2, 6.61 ERA in his last 3 starts (12 ER in 16 1/3 IP), in part due to a strained side muscle--he has clearly made the transition to the kind of pitcher he needs to be to remain effective at the end of his career.

Francona said he'll sit down with Schilling after tomorrow night's game against the D-Rays in Fenway and make a determination then. Schilling could pitch the regular season finale on regular rest, but the only thing certain about the weekend rotation is that Julian Tavarez will go Friday night.

No Manny in the lineup tonight, though after goofing around taking grounders at first during BP yesterday with Alex Gonzalez, he took some more today, with his regular fielder's glove.

Francona said he could get a start at home but wasn't sure.

Still awaiting word on Matt Clement's visit to Dr James Andrews in Alabama.

Here are the lineups
Red Sox
Youkilis, LF
Loretta, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Nixon, RF
Lowell, 3B
Hinske, 1B
Murphy, CF
Mirabelli 2
Cora, SS
Wakefield, P

Blue Jays
Rios, RF
Catalanotto, LF
Wells, CF
Overbay, 1B
Glaus, 3B
Molina, DH
Hill, SS
Phillips, C
Adams, 2B
Marcum, P

I understand folks care passionately about the Red Sox. For a sportswriter, that's part of the appeal of working in this market.

I do take exception, however, to a reader taking it upon himself this weekend to call me at home to express his objection to my column that appeared in the Globe on Saturday. What to me makes that conduct even more reprehensible was that the person who called me did so when he had to know I was in Toronto with the ballclub. What was his hope, that he could harass a family member?

My e-mail is listed in the paper--edes@globe.com I have a weekly mailbag, where people can link to me on boston.com. I have done live Q and A's with fans at charity events, and enjoy meeting and talking with many of you. The Globe address is a matter of public record.

But to call me at home because of something I wrote about Manny Ramirez? That's sad.

I am well aware that writing about Manny Ramirez in a negative fashion is likely to evoke strong reactions among Sox fans; he will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown for his hitting, which for many people is reason enough to overlook the fact that over the years Manny has repeatedly angered teammates and management by his conduct. Manny's critics in the media are not the ones who have tried to trade him in each of the last three years, nor was it a media member who placed Manny on irrevocable waivers after the 2003 season, fully prepared to give him away. That was the Red Sox general manager, Theo Epstein, who does not take his orders from Morrissey Boulevard. Epstein, in fact, may have as many issues with the media as many of you do.

I appreciate the fact that the vast majority of you do not make it personal when you object to something I've written. Those of you who want to characterize me as a racist in this case, you're entitled to your opinion, although for someone who has vastly enjoyed the privilege of covering Mo Vaughn, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz in my career, not to mention people like Mike Lowell and Alex Cora and Tom Gordon, among others, I find it pretty mystifying. I also am perturbed that some of you believe I'm "lashing" out at Manny because he doesn't talk to reporters. Trust me--my life is affected very little by whether Manny talks to me or not. He has that prerogative, and he exercises it in a non-abusive manner. He never curses at a reporter, threatens one, or even glares at reporters in a hostile manner. He simply acts most of the time as if we're invisible. I'm not offended by that; I'm more bemused that a 34-year-old adult would conduct himself in that manner. I would submit that his relationship with the media might be more problematic for the organization paying him $20 million a year than it is for the reporters covering the club.
My column about Manny was based on information I culled from my access to the ballclub, information I would not otherwise have. Sometimes, I have to protect the sources of that information because they have a variety of reasons not to reveal their identity. I don't know if you notice, but you never read in my stuff an anonymous quote from a player attacking another player, calling him names and such. My bosses would not permit it, I have come to understand over the years that that is a good policy, because of the fairness issues involved.

I intend tomorrow to publish a mailbag comprised of some of the responses I've received on the Manny column. Many of them will be highly critical, which is fine. My only hope is that in any debate, civility will not be abandoned. The person who called me at home, IMO, abandoned all pretense of civility. It's still only sports, people.

Thanks for indulging me.

Gordon

Sox manager Terry Francona confirmed that pitcher Jon Lester completed his first cycle of chemotherapy and has returned home to Seattle, where he is to continue treatment at the Fred Hutchinson Medical Center.

Lester was taken back to Seattle on the private plane of Sox majority owner John W. Henry. Francona said he saw Lester prior to his leaving and that Lester looked good.

Coco Crisp is scheduled to undergo surgery on his refractured left index finger on Tuesday in Mass General. Dr. Mark Belsky is scheduled to perform the surgery.

Matt Clement is scheduled to go Monday to see Dr James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., to have his ailing right shoulder (biceps tendinitis) examined. Exploratory surgery is possible

David Ortiz hit his 53d home run, on a 3-and-2 pitch from Blue Jays lefty Gustavo Chacin, to give the Sox a 1-0 lead in the first. The home run was Ortiz's 32d on the road, which ties the AL record for home runs on the road set by Babe Ruth when he was with the Murderers' Row Yanks of 1927.

Terry Francona confirmed this morning that pitcher Matt Clement intends to go to Birmingham, Ala. to see orthopedist James Andrews for a second opinion on what is ailing his right shoulder.

Clement, who hasn't pitched for the Sox since June 14, threw just a half-dozen pitches in a bullpen side session Friday before cutting it short. He dressed quickly and left, so Francona said he did not have a chance to discuss at length Clement's condition.

The manager did raise the possibility that Clement might elect to have exploratory surgery to determine what's wrong with his shoulder. His condition has variously been described as biceps tendinitis and/or a shoulder strain.

Here are today's lineups:

Red Sox

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis, LF
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Wily Mo Pena, CF
8. Eric Hinske, 1B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

--Devern Hansack, P

Blue Jays

1. Alex Rios, RF
2. Frank Catalonotto, LF
3. Vernon Wells, CF
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Troy Glaus, 3B
6. Greg Zaun, C
7. Aaron Hill, SS
8. Adam Lind, DH
9. Russ Adams, 2B

--A.J. Burnett, P

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said that Coco Crisp is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left index finger Monday.

We're still awaiting some word of explanation from team medical director Thomas Gill--Francona said Gill would offer further details--but there is a fracture in the bone that will require a pin or a screw to be inserted.

At this point, I cannot tell you with any certainty whether there is some separation at the point where the bone fractured back in April. I assume that to be the case, but that is purely speculation on my part. I am sure Dr. Gill will elaborate later tonight in a statement. Crisp is back in Boston. Francona said he will be ready for the start of spring training.

Here are tonight's lineups:

Red Sox
Pedroia, 2B
Loretta, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, LF
Lowell, 3B
Wily Mo Pena, RF
Mirabelli, C
Kapler, CF
Gonzalez, SS
Tavarez, P

Blue Jays
Johnson, LF
Catalonotto, DH
Wells, CF
Overbay, 1B
Glaus, 3B
Rios, RF
Molina, C
Hill, 2B
Adams, SS
Lilly, P

Do mythical creatures exist? David Ortiz pondered as much this afternoon as he sat in front of a laptop in the Red Sox clubhouse, reading an e-mail from a friend who had attached a photo taken in Boca Chica, a seaside village in his native Dominican Republic.

‘‘Look,’’ he said, pointing to what appeared to be a female form, her face covered by a white shroud, washed up onto a beach, except that there was a fishtail where there should have been legs. ‘‘A mermaid. Is it real? I don’t know. It was all over the news in the Dominican.’’

Can you believe your own eyes? That was a question more easily answered for those present tonight at Fenway Park when Ortiz in his first at-bat did some mythmaking of his own, hitting his 51st home run of the season, breaking the club record set in 1938 by Jimmie Foxx, a Hall of Famer. Ortiz would add his own coda to this historic night by hitting another home run, No. 52, in his last at-bat during a 6-0 Boston victory over the Minnesota Twins before a crowd of 36,434.

Ortiz swung his 33-ounce bat -- the same bat carved of white ash and laminated black that he’d used last night to hit No. 50 -- at the first pitch he saw from Twins lefthander Johan Santana, with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the first inning. The pitch from Santana, a stylish Venezuelan widely considered the best pitcher in the American League, was a belt-high fastball that did not veer inside enough to interrupt the full violent twist of Ortiz’s hips and the upward sweep of his bat.

At the sound of bat meeting ball, and the sight of the ball soaring high into the cool autumn-like night, Ortiz’s teammates rushed to the railing of the dugout, and the crowd rose as one, exploding with joy when the ball cleared the Sox bullpen and landed a few rows beyond.

With that swing, Ortiz, the son of a humble man, Enrique Ortiz, who sold auto parts in Santo Domingo, etched his name in the Red Sox record book, replacing that of Foxx, the son of Dell and Mattie Foxx, tenant farmers in Sudlersville, Md. Big Papi, trumping Double X, whose record had stood the test of other sluggers, from Ted Williams to Yaz, Jim Rice to Mo Vaughn, for 68 years.

The sounds of ‘‘The Natural’’ played over the ballpark PA system as Ortiz circled the bases, and ‘‘51’’ flashed repeatedly on the video scoreboard. In the pressbox, Terry Ryan, the Twins general manager who had elected not to offer Ortiz a contract four years earlier, which allowed him to sign with the Red Sox as a projected platoon player, watched, expressionless.

Santana, standing on the grass near the mound, removed his cap in an apparent gesture of respect. Six times previously, Santana had faced Ortiz, and six times he’d gotten him out, striking him out three times.

The seventh time, history.

As Ortiz crossed the plate, he performed the ritual that follows each of his home runs, gently kissing the tips of his fingers and pointing to the sky, in tribute to his beloved mother, Angela Rosa Arias, who died in a car accident four years ago and whose visage is etched on Ortiz’s giant biceps.

He was embraced by the Sox’s on-deck hitter, Mike Lowell, then returned to the dugout, where one by one, led by manager Terry Francona, teammates engulfed him with hugs and backslaps.

In the center-field bleachers, meanwhile, a 29-year-old man from Waltham, Joel McGrath, emerged from a tangled scrum of arms and legs with the ball. Sox security personnel escorted McGrath to the Sox clubhouse, where he gave the ball back to Ortiz, who pledged to auction the ball off for charity, which is how he intended to dispose of the ball he’d hit for No. 50.

The deference the Sox accorded Ortiz for his record-breaker was replaced by some traditional baseball mischief when he hit No. 52, a towering drive into the left-center-field seats off 27-year-old right-handed reliever, Matt Guerrier, with one out in the seventh. Ortiz returned to a dugout that collectively ignored him for several moments before abandoning the silent treatment and pounding him anew with congratulations.

The game? Maybe a footnote for the Red Sox, but a matter of considerable urgency for the Twins, who took the field knowing that the Detroit Tigers had lost this afternoon, giving them a chance, with a victory last night, to vault ahead of the Tigers into first place in the American League Central.

With Santana on the mound, the odds were tipped ridiculously in their favor. Since the 2003 season, Santana had a record of 39-3 in starts made after the All-Star break, including a 9-0 record this season (with four no-decisions).

But after allowing singles to Carlos Peña and Gabe Kapler to open the second, Santana made a costly throwing error while fielding Alex Gonzalez’s sacrifice bunt, allowing both runners to score and Gonzalez to sprint to third, from where he scored on Mark Loretta’s sacrifice fly.

Santana allowed no more scoring, but he was dismissed after throwing 100 pitches through five innings, matching his shortest outing of the season. When Lowell followed Ortiz’s 52d home run by lining Guerrier’s next pitch into the Monster seats, the Sox led, 6-0, Sox starter Josh Beckett having held the Twins scoreless on five hits to that point.

When it rains, it pours. In the same game he broke Jimmie Foxx's single-season Red Sox record with his 51st homer, David Ortiz added to the mark by slugging his 52nd as well.

Ortiz connected on the first pitch he saw in the first inning from Johan Santana, sending it over the Boston bullpen in right-center field. The lefty designated hitter hit the ball even further in the seventh, belting it over the center-field wall on a full count against Matt Guerrier.

The 52 homers ties Ortiz for 12th most in AL history.

On the record-breaking shot, Ortiz hit the ball with two outs and the bases empty. He circled the bases to a standing ovation. The only other player to hit his 51st homer at Fenway Park was Mickey Mantle, who did it exactly 50 years before Ortiz.

The homers also set the major league record by a designated hitter.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The ovation, this time, was longer and louder.

And maybe even more heartfelt. Not long after the Red Sox had announced that home run ball No. 50 — retrieved from a fan Thursday night — was going to be auctioned off for charity by Ortiz, the slugger sent No. 51 out of the park on the first ball he saw from Johan Santana, breaking the Red Sox record formerly held by Jimmie Foxx.

With flashbulbs bursting all over the park, Ortiz circled the bases again, in a near repeat of Wednesday night’s show, finding his entire team waiting for him on the steps of the dugout. There was a long hug from manager Terry Francona, and a longer one from Johnny Pesky, as the theme from ‘‘The Natural’’ blared from the Fenway speakers.

He waved his helmet to the standing crowd. He basked in the cheers.

He acknowledged the fans. He, clearly, loved the moment.

And the moment loved him.

It was just the second time in the history of the ancient ballpark in which a 51st home run had been struck. Ortiz’s blast and, 50 years ago to the day, one off the bat of Mickey Mantle.

Ortiz took the pitch — the first hittable one he had seen since his last home run, off Boof Bonser in the sixth inning last night — and sent it not far from where No. 50 had landed in the first inning tonight. Just a few rows past the bullpen, just a touch to the right of his last, it landed in the outstretched arms of fans waiting for the loot. (This one, Ortiz had said, would be kept.)

And so Foxx, who hit his 50 home runs 68 years ago, would be erased from the record books. In his place would stand Ortiz, the man whose teammates lauded him last night not only for his home run hitting prowess, but for his personality, his caring, and the sense of fun he brings to the ballpark.

With each home run that sense of fun had increased, the knowledge that he would break this record, though that certainty was put on hold for a time when Ortiz was sent to the hospital for multiple visits to check out heart palpitations earlier in the season. But he returned on Sept. 5. And, with him, returned the home runs. Forty-eight came against Kansas City on Sept. 10. Forty-nine came in New York on Sunday. Fifty came last night.

Fifty-one came tonight. And, with it, the record.

Jimmie Foxx no longer stands shoulder to shoulder with David Ortiz. Ortiz, now, stands alone.

The Red Sox sent the following release regarding David Ortiz' 50th home run ball:

David Ortiz has decided to make good use of the baseball he hit for his 50th home run Wednesday night---raising money for charity.

The Red Sox slugger announced today that the baseball will be put in an on-line auction on redsox.com. The proceeds received from the winning bid will be donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Plaza de la Salud Hospital de Niños, which is located in Ortiz’ hometown of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The on-line auction begins at 11:00 a.m. EDT, tomorrow, Friday, September 22. The bidding will close at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, September 26.

Interested participants should go to www.redsox.com and click the Ortiz auction link on the home page.

“I appreciate all the support and congratulations I have received,” commented Ortiz, who has tied Boston’s club record of 50 home runs in a season set by Jimmie Foxx in 1938. “It was an exciting moment for me, and I want to share it with the fans and these great charitable causes.”

The individual making the winning bid will also have the opportunity to be the guest of the Red Sox at one of the games during the final series of the 2006 season at Fenway Park, September 29-October 1 versus the Baltimore Orioles and receive the baseball personally in a pre-game ceremony from Ortiz, who will autograph it.

Those astute observers of the lineup will have noticed that Carlos Pena will be playing left field in Fenway tonight, and Coco Crisp is out of the lineup entirely.

There's news there on both counts.

Crisp, whose injured finger has impaired his first season in a Red Sox uniform, will have that injury checked out by a specialist today. Because of that, manager Terry Francona decided to keep him out of the lineup, replacing him with Gabe Kapler.

Pena has never played outfield in the major leagues. But, he assured his manager when he arrived in Boston, he's not proud, and he'll play anywhere. (He even said he'd pinch run again today, something that Francona's not likely to take him up on, given his lack of speed.) Pena just wants to play, after not getting much opportunity since joining his hometown team. And -- bonus time -- he's 6 for 18 lifetime against Johan Santana. Against Santana that's about as good as you're going to get.

Meanwhile, both Wily Mo Pena and Kevin Youkilis should be ready for action tomorrow in Toronto.

That's it from here. We'll have more as the evening progresses.

Here are the lineups, with a few Sox updates to come later.

Red Sox
1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Mark Loretta, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Carlos Pena, LF
8. Gabe Kapler, CF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

SP Josh Beckett

Twins
1. Luis Castillo, 2B
2. Nick Punto, 3B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Michael Cuddyer, RF
5. Justin Morneau, 1B
6. Torii Hunter, CF
7. Rondell White, LF
8. Jason Tyner, DH
9. Jason Bartlett, SS

SP Johan Santana

The Red Sox were expected to issue a statement on the MRI results of Manny Ramirez's sore right knee following tonight's game.

Team sources indicate Ramirez's knee has no structural damage, but he may need to keep resting. There was no official word on whether the star left-fielder would have to shut down for the remainder of the season.

Sox manager Terry Francona said prior to Wednesday's game that doctors were looking to see whether there was a potential stress fracture indicated below Ramirez's right knee cap, but that does not appear to be the case.

Manny Ramirez was having his MRI performed as the afternoon meeting with Terry Francona was going on, so there are no solid updates on his status. The MRI, Francona said, will hopefully clarify what exactly is happening with Ramirez's knee, whether it was just the patellar tendonitis or whether there was a stress fracture there.

Kevin Youkilis is not in the lineup today with the strained neck that he sustained in last night's game playing leftfield. Francona said it wasn't much more than an everyday strain, but it would affect his batting, so he'll be left alone to rest it for a couple of days.

That's about all that's exciting around the Sox clubhouse thus far. Schilling was lounging around earlier today in preparation for his return to the rotation. But that's it.

And, with that, the lineups...

Red Sox
1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Mark Loretta, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Eric Hinske, LF
8. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
9. Alex Cora, SS
SP Curt Schilling

Twins
1. Luis Castillo, 2B
2. Nick Punto, 3B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Michael Cuddyer, RF
5. Justin Morneau, 1B
6. Torii Hunter, CF
7. Rondell White, LF
8. Jason Tyner, DH
9. Jason Bartlett, SS
SP Boof Bonser

The Red Sox today purchased the contract of righthander Devern Hansack from Double-A Portland of the Eastern League.

To make room for Hansack on the 40-man roster, lefthanded pitcher Abe Alvarez has been placed on the 60-day disabled list.

Some notes on Hansack courtesy of the Red Sox:

Hansack, 28, will wear No. 68 and will be making his major league debut. He was 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his two starts in the Eastern League Championship Series against Akron, pitching seven shutout innings in Game 1 and allowing three runs in seven frames with eight strikeouts as the Sea Dogs were 8-5 winners in the fifth and deciding game on Sunday. It marks the first time that the Portland franchise has ever won the Eastern League championship.

Hansack spent the entire 2006 season at Portland, going 8-7 with a 3.26 ERA and one save in 31 games/18 starts. He led the Sea Dogs in innings (132.1) and strikeouts (124) and had the lowest ERA on the staff. Hansack concluded the regular season with a string of 17 consecutive scoreless innings. In his final game on August 31 versus Binghamton, he pitched seven shutout innings, allowing one hit with 12 strikeouts. He was the starter and loser in the opener of the EL Northern Division Series versus Trenton, allowing two runs in five innings.

Alvarez, who was on option to Pawtucket, was placed on the PawSox’ disabled list on August 14 with a broken right ankle.

---

For tonight's game against the Twins, Kevin Youkilis is back in the lineup, playing left field, and batting cleanup.

Sox slugger Manny Ramirez is getting his troublesome knee looked at again by the Red Sox medical staff.

According to the National Weather Service, there's a chance of showers at Fenway tonight with more rain likely after midnight.

---

In other news, Red Sox DH David Ortiz will take photos with fans before tomorrow night’s game at Fenway Park in exchange for a donation of $100 to raise funds for a particular patient’s care at Children’s Hospital Boston.

According to the Red Sox, fans with tickets to the game can meet Ortiz and have their photo taken at Autograph Alley inside Gate A from 5:30-6:00 p.m. on a first-come, first served basis. Ortiz will not be signing autographs.

All of the proceeds will go directly to the Alisha Fund at Children’s Hospital to pay for the unusual care needed by a little girl. The fund, however, is not a 501(c)3; therefore, contributions are not tax deductible.

The Red Sox’ photographers will take the photographs and send them (prints and/or email) to the addresses fans provide. The Red Sox neither charge nor receive any funds from this process.

“David came to us with this initiative that touched his remarkable heart,” said Dr. Charles A. Steinberg, the club’s Executive Vice President for Public Affairs. “How fortunate are we to have players who feel such compassion and commitment. We are honored to help him with this effort.”

As a courtesy to the family, the Red Sox are not disclosing information regarding the child or her illness.

OK, kids, as incredible as the Kevin Millar walk, the Dave Roberts stolen base, and the Billy Mueller base hit off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth was in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, I'm asking you if there has ever been a more spectacular finish to a ballgame than what happened last night in Dodger Stadium?

Four home runs on seven pitches by the La-La's to tie the score in the bottom of the ninth, two on the first two pitches thrown by future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman. Then, after the Padres went ahead again in the 10th against Aaron Sele, our old friend Rudy Seanez comes in, walks Kenny Lofton, then throws a 3-and-1 cookie to Nomar, who hits one into the left-field pavilion. Seven home runs by the Dodgers, who are LAST in the NL in home runs. Four in a row in the ninth? Are you KIDDING me? Our old friend Derek Lowe may have said it best when he said, "Nobody in this room can probably explain anything that happened tonight."

So, I'm asking you, can you top this one? And remember what was at stake ... the Dodgers reclaimed first place with the W.

Red Sox captain Jason Varitek will be honored for becoming the first catcher in Red Sox history to catch 1,000 games during a pregame ceremony tomorrow at Fenway.

According to a Red Sox press release, Varitek will be presented with a special award by Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk, who held the Red Sox club record with 990 career games caught before Varitek surpassed that total on July 18 versus the Royals. Varitek caught his 1000th game on July 31 and currently has appeared in 1,009 games behind the plate.

Fisk caught in a major league record 2,226 games in all or parts of 24 seasons with the Red Sox (1970; 1972-80) and White Sox (1981-93). He ranks second all-time in home runs for a catcher (351 of his career 376). The 1972 American League Rookie of the Year was an 11-time All-Star selection. A 2000 inductee to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fisk was named to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997 and had his No. 27 retired by the team in September 2000. The Red Sox named the Fenway Park left field foul pole in his honor in June 2005, a lasting reminder of his famous 12th inning home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

Varitek will also receive on Tuesday night the 2006 Red Sox Heart and Hustle Award from the local chapter of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. The honor is presents to a player who exemplifies the values, tradition, and spirit of the game of baseball. A national winner will be selected from the individual club honorees later this year.

To no one's surprise, David Ortiz caught boos upon heading to the plate in the top of the first inning. That slipped into a "De-rek Jeter" chant that stopped shortly before Ortiz smacked a double down the rightfield line, sending Mark Loretta (who had singled) to third.

Welcome back to Yankee Stadium. It's a little less rainy out there today. (Or completely sunny.) Perfect for a doubleheader.

Terry Francona said this morning that he is unlikely to play anyone in all four of the games today and tomorrow, which explains Kevin Youkilis' place on the bench this afternoon. He'll likely play all three of the other games in this series.

David Murphy gets the start for Coco Crisp in centerfield with Crisp still having trouble with his finger. Murphy, Francona said, might get a little baptism by fire this weekend in Yankee Stadium.

The second starter for tomorrow night's ESPN game remains undetermined, though Francona said he would try to stay away from Kevin Jarvis if he could in today's game, which would give him more flexibility for tomorrow. (It will not be Kason Gabbard, whose side session didn't go as well as they hoped, marking him for more testing back in Boston.) If they can't use Jarvis, they might have to go to Plan B. Which, at this point, they don't have.

Amusing scene in the clubhouse before the game. Wily Mo Pena was searching through Carlos Pena's locker in the visiting locker room, looking for his missing uniform pants. Couldn't find them. Finally Wily Mo gave up, slumping back on a clubhouse couch to rest. Except, suddenly, he looked up, made Carlos turn around and check the waistband on the pants he was wearing.

There they were. Oops.

And, with that, the lineups...

Red Sox

1. Alex Cora, SS
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Wily Mo Pena, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Eric Hinske, 1B
8. Doug Mirabelli, C
9. David Murphy, CF

SP -- Josh Beckett

Yankees

1. Johnny Damon, CF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Jason Giambi, 1B
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Hideki Matsui, DH
8. Melky Cabrera, LF
9. Sal Fasano, C

SP -- Chien-Ming Wang

David Ortiz recorded his 100th walk of the season on Thursday. With that total, he produced only the sixth season ever in Red Sox history of 100 runs, 40 homers, 100 RBI, and 100 walks.

Ortiz leads the American League with 48 homers and 128 RBI, second in the majors in both categories to the Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard (56 HR/139 RBI). Ortiz’s 48 homers are a career best and the second most in club history behind Jimmie Foxx’ 50 in 1938…41 of homers are as DH, 2 shy of own 2005 A.L. record.

Ortiz leads the majors with a club record 30 home runs on the road…That is 2 shy of the American League record set by Babe Ruth in 1927.

Here are some more notes from the Red Sox’ PR Staff:

JOSH BECKETT

All three of Beckett's career regular season starts against the Yankees have come in 2006. He has gone 1-2 with a 12.21 ERA (19 ER/14.0 IP) in those three assignments, including a 1-1record and 10.80 ERA (10 ER/8.1 IP) in his two starts at Yankee Stadium.

The Red Sox will now close this seven-game road trip with a pair of split doubleheaders here at Yankee Stadium.

JULIAN TAVAREZ

Tavarez has never allowed a run at Yankee Stadium, providing 7.0 innings of scoreless relief here in seven outings. He has tossed two scoreless appearances here in 2006.

EXTRA NOTES

Red Sox prospects David Murphy and Dustin Pedroia are playing in their first series against the Yankees.

PROBABLE PITCHERS

Josh Beckett vs. Chien-Ming Wang (Game 1, 1:20)
Julian Tavarez vs. Randy Johnson (Game 2, 8:05)

Friday's Red Sox game against the Yankees in the Bronx has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The game will be made up on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. as part of a day-night doubleheader.

Sunday's regulary scheduled game will still take place at 8:00 p.m.

The Sox and Yankees already have a scheduled doubleheader for tomorrow so the teams will now play four games over the next two days.

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said today that he feels great, but plans to err on the side of caution -- he cited Francisco Liriano of the Twins as an example of the perils that can befall a young pitcher -- and shut it down for the rest of the season.

He also indicated that he expects to return next season as a starter, although manager Terry Francona said that decision hasn't been made yet.

Asked if it was his mindset to come back as a starter next season, he said: "Yes, I would think so."

Coco Crisp, who appeared as a pinch runner Thursday night, will not be in the starting lineup for a fourth straight game tonight, as Terry Francona said the soreness in his left index finger persists.

The Sox are getting closer to having a read on a starter for Sunday's game. Kason Gabbard, who has been bothered by a strained side muscle, was going to try to throw a side session and if all is OK he is likely to take the ball on Sunday.

As you might expect, a gaggle of reporters were awaiting David Ortiz's arrival here to talk about his MVP comments. Ortiz, arriving on the late bus, said hello to Manny, saw the crowd of inquisitors, said, "I'm not talking about that (stuff), I'm hungry.''

It's raining here, too, tho I don't think we're looking at a rainout situation. But I'm no weatherman. Anyway, the lineups:

Red Sox
Youkilis, LF
Loretta, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Pena, CF
Nixon, RF
Lowell, 3B
Hinske, 1B
Mirabelli, C
Cora, SS
Beckett, P

Yankees
Damon, CF
Jeter, SS
Abreu, RF
A-Rod, 3B
Giambi, 1B
Posada, C
Cano, 2B
Matsui, DH
Cabrera, LF
Wang, P

I'm going to protect the names of the guilty, in part because I did not hear it myself, but was told by someone I trust impeccably. But a member of a major electronic media outlet walked into the office of one of tonight's managers and said, "Hi, Love Muffin."

Are you kidding me?

Do ya think we could at least pretend we're professional?

Anyway, now that I got THAT out of my system...

While he anticipates that David Ortiz's recent comments about the MVP race will garner some unwanted attention in New York, where Ortiz's remarks were portrayed as a putdown of Derek Jeter, manager Terry Francona said he would not be surprised if Jeter made an effort to defuse the situation.

"Jeter's about as professional as anybody you'll ever see,'' the manager said. "I wish he wasn't on the Yankees because he's one of my favorite players. You can't help but like Jeter. I saw him in the (Arizona) Fall League. To watch him grow, I didn't know him very well, but to watch him grow as a player, to watch the way he approaches the game, he's good for the game.

"He's not necessarily good for the Red Sox, but he's good for the game.''

Ortiz, who was clearly agitated by the fallout from his reflections on the MVP race, had a miserable series in Baltimore, going hitless in 10 at-bats while walking five times. He is batting just .167 (9 for 54) against the O's this season.

The Yanks come into this series with a chance to clinch the AL East for the ninth straight season. Their magic number for clinching is six. Any combination of NY wins and Sox losses totaling six give them the division, so if they win 3 of 4, it's over.

The Bombers put themselves in this position with their shocking five-game sweep of the Sox last month in Fenway Park.

When someone noted to Curt Schilling how disappointing that must have been, he said: "Depressing would be a better word. Everybody felt the same way going in there. You go in there trying to win five in a row. You never expect one or the other, either team, to take five of those games. Two years I've been here and it was never that way. If we take a series, they take one back. If they take a series, we take one back. That was the first time either team said, 'No mas.' They took it to us.''

Josh Beckett opens tonight's series against Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees' 17-game winner. Wang was to have pitched last night, but Joe Torre opted to keep him off a wet track.

Curt Schilling threw 80 pitches in the cage today--because of rain, the field was covered, but they'll play tonight--and said he'll make a start next Wednesday against the Twins in Fenway Park.

Terry Francona all but ruled out Manny Ramirez playing against the Yankees, and Coco Crisp was given another day to allow his sore finger to calm down.

The lineups:
Red Sox
Kevin Youkilis, LF
Mark Loretta, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Wily Mo Pena, CF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Jason Varitek, C
Trot Nixon, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Alex Gonzalez, SS
Lenny DiNardo, P

Orioles
Brian Roberts, 2B
Melvin Mora, 3B
Nick Markakis, RF
Miguel Tejada, SS
Ramon Hernandez, C
Kevin Millar, DH
David Newhan, CF
Chris Gomez, 1B
Jeff Fiorentino, LF
Adam Loewen, P

The Red Sox, who have heard numerous complaints from their players about the schedule this season, prevailed upon the commissioner's office to eliminate one of the four West Coast trips the team had been scheduled to take in the master draft of the 2007 schedule. The Sox were scheduled to open in Minnesota, then go to Seattle. Under the revised schedule, which could still be tweaked but is not expected to undergo any more major changes -- some clubs will be releasing their schedule before the end of the season -- the Sox will open the 2007 season in Kansas City on April 2.

After an off-day, the Sox will play two more games against the Royals, then go to Texas (April 6-8) before returning home to face Seattle in their home opener April 10 (The original draft had the Sox opening against Tampa Bay). Following the Mariners into town will be the Angels, who will stick around through Patriots Day (April 16), raising the prospect of an 8 a.m. telecast back in Southern California.

The interleague lineup also has been changed, with the Sox now scheduled for visits from the Rockies (June 12-14) and Giants (June 15-17), while making a previously unscheduled visit to Arizona (June 22-24). They also will play home-and-home against the Atlanta Braves.

The three West Coast trips now line up this way: Oakland (June 4-7) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (June 8-10); Arizona (June 22-24) and Seattle (June 25-27), with the trip actually beginning in Atlanta (June 18-20); and Seattle (Aug. 3-5) and Los Angeles Angels (Aug. 6-8), a trip that actually will end in Baltimore.

The Yankee dates:

No simulated game for Curt Schilling today, which means no start for Saturday against the Yankees. Terry Francona said Kyle Snyder will pitch instead, with Julian Tavarez in the other game of the doubleheader. Kason Gabbard is doubtful for Sunday's game because of back soreness, leaving the Sox without a starter.

Manny Ramirez is out of the lineup again tonight and Mark Loretta will get a start at first base.

Tonight lineups:

Red Sox
1. Kevin Youkilis, LF
2. Mark Loretta, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Wily Mo Pena, RF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Gabe Kapler, CF
7. Doug Mirabelli, C
8. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
P. Tim Wakefield

Orioles
1. Brian Roberts, 2B
2. Melvin Mora, 3B
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Miguel Tejada, SS
5. Ramon Hernandez, C
6. Kevin Millar, DH
7. David Newhan, CF
8. Chris Gomez, 1B
9. Jeff Fiorentino, LF
P. Erik Bedard

Brian Daubach just popped into the pressbox. His wife is from here, so he stopped by for a visit. The Belleville Basher was playing for the Cardinals' Triple-A team this summer and fractured a hamate bone in his wrist, so his season is over.

David Ortiz, needless to say, is unhappy to hear about headlines like the one that appeared in today's NY Post, which read "Ortiz Disses Jeter," or the photo of him that appears in the USA Today with the caption that says he believes he should be MVP.

The reason he's upset is because he said nothing of the sort. I know, because I'm the reporter he talked to after Sunday's game, a conversation that began with me asking Ortiz what he thought his chances were of winning the MVP. He formed a big fat zero with his hand.

He then made the point that he felt the big boppers, the guys who drive in 120 and hit 40 or more, are more deserving of the MVP than a Derek Jeter -- who he stressed was having a great year -- because they do more for their team. He also said that if he hits 50 and knocks in 15-20 more runs than anybody else, he should still be considered a candidate, even if the Sox have fallen out of the race, citing the precedent of A-Rod winning for a last-place Texas team in 2002.

That has been twisted into Ortiz being selfish, Ortiz campaigning for himself, Ortiz putting down Jeter, ridiculous.

And of course, with the Sox headed for NYC this weekend, the circus will only continue.

Here are the lineups on what has turned into a beautiful afternoon in B'more:

Youkilis 1B
Loretta 2B
Ortiz DH
Wily Mo Pena LF
Nixon RF
Lowell 3B
Varitek C
Crisp CF
Cora SS
Gabbard P

Orioles
Roberts 2B
Mora 3B
Markakis RF
Tejada SS
Hernandez C
Millar DH
Newhan CF
Gomez 1B
Fahey LF
Cabrera P

Lenny DiNardo, incidentally, will get Thursday's start, with Tim Wakefield still a go for tomorrow.

David Ortiz hit his 48th HR in the sixth, giving him a career-high 48. His first HR since Aug 27 in Seattle draws him within two of Jimmie Fox for the club record. Ortiz will have 19 games to try and break the record.

Julian Tavarez, lifted after giving up three runs in the sixth, left the mound to a standing O. He'd taken no more than a couple steps off the hill when he made a show of waving his cap to the fans. Tavarez made a point of not doing so the last time he pitched, because of all the booing he's endured this season

And does anyone really care? Julian Tavarez has held the Royals scoreless through five, allowing just two ground ball singles.
Meanwhile, Mike Lowell's double, after a walk to David Ortiz and single by Wily Mo, has given the Sox a 5-0 lead.

Kevin Youkilis' bloop single touched off a 3-run rally in the bottom of the third to give Julian a 4-0 cushion. Wily Mo's sac fly brought home one run, and two runs scored when shortstop Andres Blanco threw away Mike Lowell's infield hit. Lowell got credit for one RBI.

Terry Francona's original lineup card had Manny Ramirez playing, but he evidently told the manager his knee was to sore to go, so he didn't.

Coco Crisp also aggravated his finger injury the night before -- nothing more than soreness, he said, but he could only bunt his last time up Saturday so he scratched today. Wily Mo Pena played left, Gabe Kapler center, and while Pena gave the Sox a 1-0 lead with a base hit after walks to Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz, he also committed a base-running blunder that cost the Sox a potential big inning, Ortiz getting hung up between second and third because Pena steamed into second.

Sox starter Julian Tavarez, meanwhile, went nine up, nine down through the first three innings.

Sox 1-0, after 2 1/2.

Tough way to end this one with Jeff Keppinger hitting a three-run homer that wrapped around the Pesky Pole in the 12th en route to a six-run inning that led the Royals to a 10-4 win over the Sox.

Rough night for Manny Delcarmen who allowed the homer. Sox manager Terry Francona was disappointed Delcarmen let it get away especially allowing David DeJesus to be the front end of a double steal of third which put runners at second and third.

This was as annoyed as I've seen Francona this season after a game. Francona said it took away the double-play potential and completely changed the complexion of the game.

"Again it starts with the little things. You know, we're holding the runner at second, he takes off and you know, Manny's gonna have to realize that you know that's part of the game. They can do that. It changes the game significantly. Where you play the infield, how you pitch people, puts you in a pretty tough spot, takes away the double-play," Francona said.

Keppinger's homer was his first in a Royals uniform and his first homer in two years. He had homered Sept. 10, 2004 with the Mets against the Phillies.

That's it from Fenway.

It's the time of the year when you can open some eyes. And right here in the 11th inning, lefty Craig Breslow just struck out the side.
The Sox have searched near and far for a lefty reliever this season and couldn't come up with one. Breslow is definitely making a case for himself in terms of being a pitcher the Sox brass may have to look long and hard at in spring training in that lefty specialist role.

Mike Timlin did a nice job working out of a jam in the 10th. Timlin, who squandered Bostn's 9-8 lead n Friday night night stranded a pair of baserunners.
After Mark Grudzielanek had reached with a single against Keith Foulke, Timlin came in to face Mike Sweeney. Mark Loretta, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, booted Sweeney's grounder.
But Timlin sucked it up and retired Shane Costa and Ryan Shealy to set up the bottom of the 10th.

It's always nice when a fastball hitter gets a first-pitch fastball. Wily Mo Pena thanks KC reliever Ryan Braun as he delivered a double to the triangle to score Bostn's third run in the seventh. That was followed by a Kevin Youkilis sacrifice fly to tie it up.
Josh Beckett pitched a scoreless eighth to hold things at 4-4. There's some bullpen action going on right now so this might be it for Beckett. The Sox are up now in the bottom of the eighth. The crowd is into it after a stirring rendition of "Sweet Caroline."

Here's where Josh Beckett needs to show he's a top pitcher. His offense comes back to tie in the bottom of the fourth - 2-2 - and he allows the Royals to go ahead in the fifth.
Beckett allowed a pair of singles to Andres Blanco, the No. 9 hitter, and David DeJesus, the leadoff hitter. The Royals avoided a double-play grounder when they put the hit-and-run on with Esteban German grounding to second advancing the runners to scoring position.
One run scored on Mark Grudzielanek's slow roller to third. Beckett had also given up an RBI single by Shane Costa making it 4-2.
You expect more out of Beckett.

Bases loaded one out. KC righty Luke Hudson has walked the bases loaded after allowing a solo homer to Dustin Pedroia in the bottom of the fourth.
Great chance to blow the game wide open, but the Sox can only tie it on Doug Mirabelli's two-out RBI single on which Mike Lowell was thrown out at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run.
Coco Crisp had a horrible at-bat with the sacks full and one out, grounding out to shortstop Andres Blanco who made a nice play in forcing David Ortiz at home.

Dustin Pedroia has been accused of swinging for the fences in his brief time up with the Red Sox. Well last night he hit one over for the first time in his major league career.
Pedroia, who had singled in the first inning off Royals' starter Luke Hudson, clobbered a fastball into the Monster seats to reduce KC's lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
Pedroia came into the game hitless in his last 11 at-bats and was 4-for-40 overall. He was inserted into the No. 2 spot in the order with Mark Loretta taking a seat.
The Sox are trying to evaluate whether they will take a chance with Pedroia as their starting second baseman next season

Since it is time to look ahead to next year I asked Sox owner John Henry about how the team would approach the off-season. His response: "Prior to the free agent season, it wouldn't make sense for us to publicly disclose or discuss our off-season strategy and plans."

It's also likely too early to know which direction they might turn.

Shortstop Alex Gonzalez keeps making a great case for himself to be re-signed with another nifty sliding pick up of Shane Costa's grounder in the second inning.

Pretty quiet night here as the Sox begin the "garbage time" segment of their season. It's been a while since Septembers were meaningless.

Here's the news:

*Curt Schilling threw from 60-100 feet this afternoon and will repeat that tomorrow. He'll be re-evaluated Monday, but he appears to be on track toward starting one of the double-header games against the Yankees next Saturday barring a set back.

Schilling, 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in his last five starts, will miss his second straight start tomorrow because of a sre right lat muscle.

Terry Francona also indicated Tim Wakefield will start Wednesday in Baltimore.

*Dustin Pedroia started at second base last night. Expect to see more of that as the Sox try to evaluate him for next season. Mark Loretta is hitting .116 (5-for-43) in his last 12 games dropping his average frm .306 to .292.

*Shortstop Alex Gonzalez still feels a little soreness in his right oblique, but expects to play through it.

1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Coco Crisp, CF
8. Doug Mirabelli, C
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
--Josh Beckett, P

Javy Lopez, brought in early last month to plug the gap when catcher Jason Varitek went down with a knee injury, was released today, as the Sox brought back Ken Huckaby.

"When 'Tek went down, we needed a guy who could shoulder the responsibility of catching multiple games and Javy did that," said manager Terry Francona. But when Varitek returned with Doug Mirabelli as backup, Lopez was odd man out. "Rather than designate him for assignment, we wanted to give him a chance to catch on with another club for the last two or three weeks of the season," Francona said. "I know he understood and he appreciated the way we did it." Lopez, who started 15 games behind the plate, batted .190. As payment for his temp work, the Sox will give the Orioles a player or cash.

Since his five-inning simulated game went well on Wednesday, Tim Wakefield has been penciled in to start next Wednesday's game at Baltimore after being on the disabled list since July 22nd with a rib injury. Francona said that the knuckleballer, who was 7-8 with a 4.14 ERA when he went on the shelf, would work out of the bullpen in the interim, but wouldn't be used in relief.

With Curt Schilling also likely to take the mound again next week after straining a side muscle last week in Oakland, Boston's battered rotation is taking shape. Francona plans to use Kason Gabbard in the opener at Baltimore after Monday's off-day, then Wakefield. Thursday's series finale will either be Schilling or Kevin Jarvis, with an outside chance for Kyle Snyder. For the weekend series at New York, it'll be Josh Beckett on Friday, then Julian Tavarez in one of the two Saturday games, with the rest TBD.

Francona wouldn't comment on how pitcher Jon Lester's first chemotherapy treatment went today at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "That's private," he said.

Tonight's lineups:

Red Sox
1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Wily Mo Pena, RF
8. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
P Kevin Jarvis

Royals
1. David DeJesus, LF
2. Esteban German, 3B
3. Mark Grudzielanek, 2B
4. Mike Sweeney, DH
5. Emil Brown, RF
6. Ryan Shealy, 1B
7. John Buck, C
8. Angel Berroa, SS
9. Joey Gathright, CF
P Odalis Perez

With the big club off today, let’s take a look at some happenings in the Boston farm system, courtesy of the Red Sox’ minor league report for this week:

Speaking for the first time since he was diagnosed with cancer, a very poised and determined Jon Lester said that he will begin chemotherapy treatment this Friday.

Lester, who has been diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, will have his first treatment at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, before heading home to Washington state later this month to resume treatment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

"Right now, I'm just waiting for that first treatment and fighting," said Lester. "If I'm back for spring training that's great. The doctors said I can work out during this whole thing. I can live basically a normal life as long I'm careful within a certain day period because of blood cell count or what not.

"Baseball right now is secondary. We got to fight this. We got to be a family. We got to stick together, and we got to beat this first. Once we do that we're going to start talking baseball and start talking spring training and getting ready for that. Knock on wood, God willing we'll be back in February and I'll see you guys Feb. 18. We'll strap it on and throw some bullpens and do all that stuff, but right now I'm just thinking about the first treatment."

Lester said the diagnosis was both sobering and shocking.

"I'm 22-years-old. I thought I was in the best shape of my life coming out here and pitching every five days, pitching at Fenway Park. What couldn't be better?" said Lester.

"Obviously, there's that denial. Why did it happen to me? What did I do wrong-type thing, but right now we don't have room for that.

"Right now, all it is is we got to fight this; we got to beat it, and God willing come February or March, whatever it is, even two years for now, we beat it and get it under control and then we're going to start thinking baseball and we're going to get back to baseball and get back to where I was last month, back to pitching and back to what I love to do.

"Until we do that, we got a long road ahead of us. I got a very good family and a lot of support and we're going to fight it and hopefully beat it."

The Red Sox announced that Jon Lester will meet with the media today at 6:30 p.m. at Fenway Park.

Lester had been diagnosed with a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and will undergo treatment.

The Globe's Chris Gasper will provide updates here after Lester speaks.

Tim Wakefield threw another simulated game today and said he would probably return to the Red Sox rotation next week on the road against Baltimore, if he doesn't have any more complications from the stress fracture in his rib cage.

Wakefield was placed on the disabled list (retroactive to July 18) on July 22 and last pitched in a game on July 17, when he left the game after pitching four innings against Kansas City. Yesterday, he took the mound in his second simulated game, going five innings and throwing 80 pitches.

"I got up and down five times and everything felt okay," said Wakefield. "In warm-ups, it took me a little bit longer than normal. I expected that, but once I got loose and got going I felt pretty good."

Wakefield said it's been frustrating dealing with the injury because it is something only time can heal. That's why when he does come back he wants to make sure his performance won't be hampered by it.

"I don't think the pain is going to go away until the off-season," said the knuckleballer. "It's just a matter of whether I can go out there and sustain five or six or seven innings without it getting to a point where I can't throw. I don't want to put the team in jeopardy and say, 'I'm ready, I'm going to pitch,' and then I get four innings into it and it's grabbing again. I want to make sure that's not going to be the case."

On to other news:

-- Kevin Youkilis is out of the Sox lineup tonight (see below for full lineups). Sox manager Terry Francona said that with the Sox off tomorrow, it was a chance to give Youkilis two days of rest. He did say Youkilis would be available to pinch hit. "I think he desperately needs two nights. His feet hurt, his shoulder hurts, everything hurts. We can use him later in the game, but I think this is one case where two days really will make him a different player."

-- Francona said he doesn't know when -- or even if -- injured closer Jonathan Papelbon will be back this season. But the team is not going to jeopardize his long-term health. "Regardless of how desperate we are to win games, the only way we would pitch him would be if the medical people deemed it was in his best interest," said Francona.

-- As expected, Mike Timlin is not available after his two-inning save last night against the White Sox.

Here are the lineups:

Red Sox
1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Eric Hinske, 1B
9. Alex Cora, SS

P -- Kyle Snyder

White Sox
1. Ryan Sweeney, CF
2. Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
3. Jermaine Dye, RF
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. A.J. Pierzynski, C
7. Joe Crede, 3B
8. Scott Podsednik, LF
9. Alex Cintron, SS

P -- Jose Contreras

More than 600 Greater Boston business people sang "Happy Birthday'' to Larry Lucchino as the Red Sox president and CEO finished a presentation on the Red Sox Foundation at a Corporate Philanthropy Summit this morning at the Fairmount Copley Plaza.

"Ah, breakfast,'' joked Luccino, 61, as he was presented with a birthday cake by the event's sponsor, Michael Olivieri, publisher of the Boston Business Journal.

Oliveri gamely led the crowd by warbling through the birthday greetings, then told the crowd: "Now you know why I didn't make it on 'American Idol.'”

Lucchino, the keynote speaker for the event, said the Red Sox Foundation focuses on reaching as many people as possible, concentrating on programs such as the Jimmy Fund, the Red Sox Scholars, education and recreation programs and urban social issues.

Here's the statement from the Sox on Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon (attributed to Sox medical director Dr. Thomas Gill):

Jonathan Papelbon continues to improve each day. Recent examination and testing are consistent with a transient subluxation event in the setting of a fatigued shoulder. After a period of rest, he will begin a shoulder strengthening program.

* * * * *

Papelbon was removed from his last appearance on September 1 versus Toronto with discomfort in his right shoulder. He is 4-2 with a 0.92 ERA and 35 saves in 59 appearances with Boston this season.

Essentially, Papelbon had a slippage in the shoulder joint because of fatigue in the area. No timetable was announced at this time.

No news yet on Jonathan Papelbon's MRI. We'll update when we have something to report.

Craig Hansen has been recalled from Pawtucket, along with tonight's starter, Kason Gabbard. The Sox made the David Wells deal official, acquiring catcher George Kottaras from the Padres. Kottaras has been assigned to Double-A Portland for the Sea Dogs' playoff series against Trenton.

Sox will have Kevin Jarvis in the pen but hope he will start Friday, pushing Josh Beckett back an extra day to Saturday. Curt schilling appears doubtful to start this weekend. Terry Francona said Julian Tavarez will get additional starts, which probably means Sunday for Schill.

Kevin Youkilis is OK and back in the starting lineup. Sox are advising fans the forecast calls for light to moderate rain this evening.

Here's the lineups:

Red Sox
1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Coco Crisp 8
8. Doug Mirabelli 2
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
-- Kason Gabbard, SP

White Sox
1. Pablo Ozuna, LF
2. Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
3. Joe Crede, 3B
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. AJ Pierzynski, C
7. Brian Anderson, CF
8. Juan Uribe, SS
9. Ryan Sweeney, RF
-- Javier Vazquez, SP

The Red Sox today acquired catcher George Kottaras from the Padres to complete the deal that sent lefthander David Wells to the National League club on August 31.

In addition, the Red Sox today recalled lefthander Kason Gabbard and righthander Craig Hansen from Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League. Both will be in uniform for tonight's game with Chicago. Boston also designated righthander Jermaine Van Buren for assignment to make room for Kottaras on the 40-man roster.

The team relased the following information on the transactions:

Kottaras, 23, has been added to the 40-man roster and assigned to Double-A Portland, where he will play for the Sea Dogs in the upcoming Eastern League playoffs.

Kottaras has combined for a .255 batting average with ten homers and 50 RBI in 111 games at Double-A Mobile (Southern League) and Triple-A Portland (Pacific Coast League) this season. The lefthanded batter had 29 doubles with a .361 on-base percentage and 62 walks with the two Padres farm clubs.

Named by Baseball America as San Diego’s number two prospect at the start of 2006, Kottaras hit .276 with eight homers and 33 RBI in 78 games at Mobile while throwing out 24 of 76 runners (32%) attempting to steal to earn a promotion to Portland on July 14. He played for the World Team in the 2006 MLB All-Star Futures Fame on July 9.

Kottaras is completing his fourth professional season after being selected by San Diego in the 20th round of the 2002 First Year Player Draft. He batted .310 in his second pro season at Class-A Fort Wayne in 2004 and combined for a .299 average at Class-A Lake Elsinore and Mobile in 2005.

Gabbard, who will start tonight’s game for Boston, is 0-3, 6.35 in four games/two starts over two stints with the Red Sox this season (July 22-26; August 22-29), his first major league action. The lefthander has combined for a 10-9 record and 3.66 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 125.1 innings at Portland and Pawtucket in 2006.

Hansen will also be making his third appearance with the Red Sox this season (June 6-9; June 20-August 21) and is 1-1 with a 6.60 ERA in 28 appearances in that span. In the minors this season, he was 1-0, 0.82 in five games at Portland and 1-2, 2.75 in 14 games/4 starts at Pawtucket. One of Boston’s two first round selections in the 2005 First Year Player Draft, Hansen pitched in four games with the Red Sox in his major league debut in September 2005.

Van Buren, who was on option to Pawtucket, is 1-0, 11.77 in ten games over five tours of duty with the Red Sox this season.

The Red Sox released the following statement regarding tonight's game:

The current weather forecast (provided by the Red Sox private weather service, Meteorlogix) in the vicinity of Fenway Park calls for intermittent showers during the late afternoon hours and for light to moderate rain this evening.

The Fenway Park gates will open at the regularly scheduled time of 5:05 p.m., and the Red Sox will make every effort to play tonight’s game with the Chicago White Sox. However, the Red Sox want to alert our fans to the current forecast for the Fenway area later this evening.

This forecast is of course subject to change as the day progresses.

The quickly recovering Red Sox lineup will receive another boost tonight after the team, as expected, cleared David Ortiz to return to action.

"The ongoing monitoring of David Ortiz has not identified any further problem,” the Red Sox released in a statement attributed to Dr. Thomas Gill. “As a result, the team of consultants caring for David has met and decided to allow him to return to play today. The Red Sox medical staff will continue to monitor David on a daily basis."

Ortiz yesterday took batting practice for the first time since he was hospitalized for a second time because of heart palpitations.

``I can't wait to start playing, dude," he said before last night's game against the White Sox.

Although he received clearance to resume baseball activities yesterday, Ortiz was still wearing an event monitor, a device that allows him to push a button and electronically record his heart rhythm if he has another episode.

``They keep that on me just to see if I get the pain back or whatever," Ortiz said. ``It seems like that one little thing that I had took some vacation, just like I did."

Ortiz's jovial mood was in stark contrast to the gravity of his health scare.

The slugger, who hasn't played since Aug. 27, when he went 1 for 3 and slammed his 47th home run of the season in a 6-3 loss at Seattle, left the team in Oakland last Tuesday after a recurrence of the irregular heartbeat he first experienced during the Yankees' most recent visit to Fenway. Ortiz was briefly hospitalized Aug. 19 after Boston's 13-5 loss to New York. He returned to play the next day, going 3 for 6 with a solo home run.

After flying back to Boston last week, Big Papi underwent a battery of tests at Massachusetts General Hospital before he was released Thursday. He said Saturday that doctors told him they were ``97 percent" sure he didn't have a serious heart problem.

While Ortiz's long-term health no longer seems to be in jeopardy, the same can't be said of his team, which has its playoff hopes on life support. Ortiz's return, along with Manny Ramírez, Trot Nixon, and Jason Varitek -- all three of whom were back in the lineup last night -- might be just enough to revive the team.

``I've been watching our games; more than anything, we need some offense," Ortiz said. ``Our pitchers, they've been doing way better. They need some support. We need our hitters to go out there and produce for them."

Ortiz knows about production. Despite missing the last eight games, he's still tops in the American League in home runs (47) and runs batted in (121) and has a good shot at breaking Jimmie Foxx's club record of 50 home runs. However, his missed time and the Sox' slide may have jeopardized his MVP candidacy.

``I'm rooting for David to win the MVP because he's my teammate," Mike Lowell said. ``But like I said, do we want five more home runs while his heart is in question? You know I think it's a non-issue there. I'm happier with the fact that he's fine than that he may have missed out on four or five home runs during this stretch."

White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye, who has emerged, along with Derek Jeter, as a prime candidate for the MVP award, said he's rooting for Ortiz's return.

``It's scary," Dye said. ``You just hope the best for him. Hopefully, he gets back on the field and gets healthy and gets back to playing the game he loves to play."

Information from Christopher L. Gasper’s story in today’s Globe was used throughout this report.

Carlos Pena was on cloud nine after socking a walk-off home run that gave the Sox a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. Pena, who grew up in Haverhill, hammered a 2-1 pitch from Chicago's Brandon McCarthy in the bottom of the 10th out of Fenway Park to live out a childhood dream.

"I dreamt about this and played with it and visualized it ever since I was 13 or 12. As soon as I got to this area, the Red Sox were everything to me. Do you know how many times I have done this...in my backyard?"

The home run was Pena's first as a Red Sox. The former Northeastern University star is the 12th player in team history to have his first homer as a Red Sox be a walk-off one.

Pena, entered the game as a defensive substitution in the ninth after Kevin Youkilis was hit by a pitch in the eighth. Coco Crisp ran for Youkilis. He only got one at-bat in the game, but he made it count.

"As soon as I hit it. I knew it was gone," he said. "I can't describe what I felt emotionally. I don't even remember going around the bases."

-- Call it Manny being Manny, but Manny Ramirez didn't show any rust while returning to the Red Sox lineup. He went 1 for 2 with two walks and a run scored.

-- Trot Nixon, who drove in the first Boston run, was 1 for 3 in his return from a right biceps strain.

-- Jason Varitek, who caught for the first time since July 31 against Cleveland, went 0 for 3.

Haverhill's Carlos Pena led off the bottom of the 10th with a home run to right field, giving the Sox a 3-2 win.

The Red Sox tied up the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the ninth against Chicago closer Bobby Jenks. Mike Lowell doubled to left with one out to score Manny Ramirez. Mike Timlin is now on for the Red Sox in the top of the 10th.

Kevin Youkilis is out of the game after being hit with a pitch in the bottom of the eighth. The ball appeared to strike the knob of Youkilis's bat, but he hunched over in pain and was replaced by pinch runner Coco Crisp. Carlos Pena is now playing first base for Boston.

-- Here's an update on Chicago White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye, who left the game in the bottom of the seventh. Dye has tightness in his back and is day-to-day.

The Sox lead was short-lived, as the ChiSox finally broke through against Julian Tavarez in the top of the seventh. Jim Thome cranked a one-out homer into the Monster Seats to tie the game. Paul Konerko doubled to left to chase Tavarez, who was replaced by Manny Delcarmen.

Konerko scored the second White Sox run on a bloop single to center by Joe Crede. Tavarez now stands to lose the game, but that should not overshadow the heroic effort he gave.

Tavarez's final line reads: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He threw 91 pitches, 60 for strikes.

The 6.1 innings pitched for Tavarez mark his longest outing since going seven innings while a member of the Florida Marlins on Aug. 30, 2002 against Pittsburgh. Before Thome's homer, Tavarez had pitched 13 consecutive scoreless innings against the White Sox.

-- The White Sox have also made a pitching change. Mike MacDougal has reliever Jon Garland (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) in the bottom of the seventh.

It didn't take Trot Nixon long to get back into the swing of things. In his first game back after missing 33 games with a strained right biceps muscle, Nixon has given the Sox a 1-0 lead after six. After the White Sox elected to intentionally walk Manny Ramirez with two outs, putting runners on the corners, the hard-nosed outfielder singled over the outstretched glove of Chicago second baseman Tadahito Iguchi to break a scoreless tie.

Where has this Julian Tavarez been all season? Tavarez is really seizing his opportunity to work as a spot starter. He has shutout the White Sox through five innings, striking out five (without a walk) and allowing just three hits. The five innings represent his longest outing since June 21, 2003.

Manny Ramirez received a standing ovation from the Fenway Faithful when he came to the plate in the top of the first. Ramirez shot a double down the right field line. The Sox loaded the bases against White Sox starter Jon Garland in the first with two outs, but Mike Lowell grounded out to end the threat, Boston's best of the night so far. The Red Sox and White Sox are still scoreless as we head to the top of the fourth. Sox sport starter Julian Tavarez is doing yeomen's work.

There is actually some good news to report from the Sox clubhouse for a change.

Manny Ramirez is back in the Red Sox lineup along with fellow regulars Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon, and David Ortiz was cleared to take batting practice and could return as soon as tomorrow, if he gets clearance from his doctors. Ortiz parked a ball in the right field bleachers during his round of BP.

However not all the news on the injury front was good. Francona indicated that Curt Schilling, who was supposed to start tonight, has been slow to recover from a strained latissimus dorsi muscle on his right side and could miss his next scheduled start as well, which would have come this weekend against the Royals.

"I don't think it looks very encouraging," admitted Francona. But he stopped short of saying Schilling was scratched.

Ramirez didn't make a liar out of Julian Tavarez, who said yesterday he expected the mercurial slugger to be back in the lineup. Ramirez, who is battling tendinitis in right knee, hasn't appeared in a game since Aug. 26, when he started and went 0 for 3 with a walk in a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

"He said he could play that's good enough for me," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He had been on the treadmill the last couple of days. He worked out enough that he can play the outfield too, which certainly opens up some different things for us."

A few more notes:

-- Due to the Labor Day holiday, Jonathan Papelbon's MRI on his right shoulder has been pushed back to tomorrow morning.

-- Coco Crisp is still feeling the effects of the spectacular catch he made in Oakland. Crisp injured his left shoulder on that catch and Francona said that if the team had more healthy bodies he wouldn't have been in the lineup the last couple of days. Crisp snapped a 4 for 33 slide with two hits yesterday.

-- The Red Sox have recalled reliever Javier Lopez from Pawtucket.

Here are the lineups:
Sox
1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. Eric Hinske, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Gabe Kapler, CF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

P -- Julian Tavarez

White Sox
1. Scott Podsednik, LF
2. Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
3. Jermaine Dye, RF
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. A.J. Pierzynski, C
7. Joe Crede, 3B
8. Brian Anderson, CF
9. Juan Uribe, SS

P -- Jon Garland

Manny Ramirez will be back in the cleanup spot and roaming left field tonight for the Red Sox against Chicago. Here is the rest of the Red Sox lineup:

1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. Eric Hinske, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Gabe Kapler, CF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

The Red Sox today announced the signing of their second pick (28th overall) in the 2006 draft, North Carolina righthander Daniel Bard. The terms of the signing were not disclosed.

Bard will report to Fort Myers on September 18 for the team's Florida Instructional League program. The 21-year-old pitcher was ranked the No. 15 overall prospect and the No. 13 pitching prospect in the draft by Baseball America.

It was unclear several weeks ago if the Red Sox would be able to sign Bard. Had he attended classes last week at North Carolina, the Sox would have lost all negotiating rights, and Bard would have gone back into next year's draft.

Bard went 3-3 for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod League in 2005, recording 82 strikeouts in 65.0 innings of work. He led the league in strikeouts and ranked third with a 1.25 ERA.

With Bard’s signing, the Red Sox have signed 27 of the 54 players it selected in the 2006 First Year Player Draft, including each of its first 13 picks.

Information courtesy of the Red Sox

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said that Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon would be in the Sox lineup tomorrow in the opener of a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox, who will enter Fenway with a 6.5 game lead over their carmine hose counterparts in the wild card standings.

Varitek and Nixon might be the cure for a Red Sox lineup that has become downright anemic. The Sox are averaging just 1.9 runs per game while hitting just .194 over their last 14 games.

"The hope is that getting those guys back gets guys more into their suited roles and maybe it makes us a little bit better team," said Francona.

-- Alex Gonzalez, who is recovering from an oblique strain, made his return to the starting lineup against Toronto and went 0 for 3. After the game he prounounced himself fit to resume every day play.

"I felt good, man. I just need to be smart. If I didn't feel like I could play I'd take a couple of more days."

-- Coco Crisp went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles to snap a 4 for 33 (.121) slide in his previous nine games. It was Crisp's first mult-hit game since Aug. 22 against the Angels. Crisp is still just 10 for his last 64 (.156), however.

Monday's starter Julian Tavarez, who is also Manny Ramirez's closest friend on the team, told reporters last night that Ramirez will be in left field.

"That's what he told me. I guarantee it," Tavarez said.

Sox manager Terry Francona only revealed after tonight's 6-1 loss that Jason Varitek would catch and Trot Nixon would play right field as Boston's lineup gets closer and closer to normal.

The Red Sox have dropped their 14th game in 18 tries, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-1.

Boston scored in the ninth inning, when Wily Mo Pena doubled to left with two outs and Doug Mirabelli followed with an infield single up the middle that scored Pena.

If there's any pertinent news from the clubhouse we'll post it...

Gustavo Chacin is done after six innings during which the Sox made him look like Sandy Koufax. Chacin allowed just two hits and one walk, while striking out two to shut down and shut out the Sox over the first six. Jason Frasor is on to pitch the seventh for the Jays.

Bryan Corey is now on to pitch the seventh, replacing Craig Breslow, who went just one inning. Breslow's line: 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K and a wild pitch.

The Sox cited Josh Beckett having to warm up twice due to today's rain delay as the reason he was removed from the game after five innings and 77 pitches.

Craig Breslow finally retired the side in the sixth, but it took him 38 pitches. The Jays scored two more runs taking advantage of Breslow's lack of control. After a Wall-ball double by Gregg Zaun to open the inning, Breslow walked the bases loaded. He struck out pinch hitter Troy Glaus, but then Zaun came home on a wild pitch. Aaron Hill then scored the fifth Toronto run on a sacrifice fly.

Josh Beckett is done after five innings. Beckett allowed three runs on five hits, striking out three and walking two. He threw 77 pitches, 52 for strikes, but threw 44 pitches in the first two innings, after waiting out a 1 hour and 8 minute rain delay. Craig Breslow has come on for the sixth.

Trot Nixon, for one, isn't ready to wave the white flag on the Red Sox season, despite the team's prolonged slide, which has seen them go 8-20 since Aug. 5.

Nixon, who went on the DL on July 31 with a right biceps strain, missing 33 games, was part of the calvary that arrrived in the Red Sox clubhouse today from Pawtucket. He was joined by fellow starters Alex Gonzalez and catcher Jason Varitek. Gonzalez was the only one in today's starting lineup, taking his customary spot at shorstop.

"A lot of things have gone on here lately. It's been difficult for a lot of guys and losing is just not fun. It's really not," said Nixon, speaking before today's game. "These guys have been playing hard. They haven't rolled over. I'm proud of them. I've been thinking about them, praying for them. We're all going to work hard to do whatever we can to hopefully get in the postseason. I know a lot of people are going to laugh at that, but if you don't have that kind of goal or that kind of drive then why do you even need to play in September then?"

-- The Blue Jays have extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth. After Toronto scored a run in the third on back-to-back doubles by Vernon Wells and Bengie Molina, Kevin Barker launched the first pitch of the fourth into the Monster Seats in left. It's the 33d home run Josh Beckett has served up this year. That's second in the majors. Minnesota's Carlos Silva has allowed 34. It was the first home run for Barker, who was recalled from Triple A Syracuse on Friday, since April 26, 2000.

Toronto touched Josh Beckett for a run in the second on back-to-back doubles by Bengie Molina and Gregg Zaun to take a 1-0 lead. Beckett got the next two batters after the double, before loading the bases with walks to John Hattig and Russ Adams. He then blew away Reed Johnson with a 93-mile per hour fastball to get out of the inning, but Beckett has thrown 44 pitches through two innings.

We're underway at the Fens after a 1 hour and 8 minute rain delay. First pitch was at 5:13 p.m.

The Sox have just announced a new start time. They're now projecting the game will get underway at 5:10 p.m. The grounds crew has just rolled the tarp off the infield. Keep your fingers crossed.

We're in a holding pattern here at Fenway. The game is not going to start at 4:20 p.m., the Sox have just announced. The intensity of the rain has picked up and the tarp is back on the infield. Red Sox spokesman John Blake said that this period of rain is expected to last a "minimum of 30 to 45 minutes," before decreasing in intensity. Translation: We could be here a while.

Red Sox have just announced that the start of today's game against the Toronto Blue Jays has been pushed back to 4:20 p.m. That represents a 15-minute delay. Today's game was scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. It was originally on the schedule as a 2:05 game, but was moved prior to the weekend due to weather considerations.

I'm sure a lot of you are interested in the weather, so we'll start with that.

Right now it's misting at Fenway and we're still set for a 4:05 p.m. start. Since this is Toronto's last trip to Boston this season, the playing of the game is at the discretion of the umpires and not the Red Sox. The general buzz is that they're going to try very hard to get this one in. The Red Sox have said that the forecast they have received calls for light rain through the afternoon and evening hours.

On to baseball matters: The reinforcements have arrived for the Red Sox. Wily Mo Pena and Alex Gonzalez are both in today's lineup (scroll down below for the rest of the lineups if you just can't take the suspense) against Blue Jays starter Gustavo Chacin. Trot Nixon (right biceps strain) and Jason Varitek (left knee), who were in Triple A Pawtucket on rehab assignments and played, along with Gonzalez (oblique strain), for the PawSox yesterday in a 5-0 win, have been added to the roster.

Sox manager Terry Francona said that he doubted that either Nixon or Varitek would see action today. Varitek is likely to catch tomorrow against the White Sox and then catch every other day the rest of the week until the team is confident his surgically repaired left knee is strong enough to resume his normal catching schedule. Francona said the Sox medical staff told him last night that Pena, who has been battling a sore left wrist, the same wrist he had surgery on earlier this season to remove the hamate bone from, was cleared to play.

"I'm glad. I'd like to have some thunder in the lineup," said Francona.

More thunder could be on the way. Manny Ramirez had what Francona termed a "real strenuous" workout on the treadmill, and Francona said the team could be "real close" to getting him back. David Ortiz is still wearing an event monitor in the wake of his heart scare, but the Sox slugger could take batting practice as soon as tomorrow if he gets medical clearance.

"I know everybody wants to know when he's going to play," said Francona. "I'd like to know and he wants to know, but we're still at the mercy of the medical people. I'm on the same page with these guys. We need to wait until they say when he can do what. We just need to let them tell us what we can do."

Francona agreed that the return of several regulars from injury could give his team a much-needed boost.

"I think it will be a boost. I hope," he said. "The guys we signed to play haven't been out there very much. The more healthy bodies you have the better you're going to be. It doesn't ensure wins, but it certainly has to help."

Here are today's lineups:

Sox
1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Mark Loretta, 1B
3. Mike Lowell, 3B
4. Kevin Youkilis, LF
5. Wily Mo Pena, DH
6. Doug Mirabelli, C
7. Gabe Kapler, RF
8. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

P -- Josh Beckett

Blue Jays
1. Reed Johnson, RF
2. Frank Catalanotto, LF
3. Vernon Wells, CF
4. Troy Glaus, 3B
5. Bengie Molina, C
6. Gregg Zaun, DH
7. Kevin Barker, 1B
8. Aaron Hill, SS
9. Russ Adams, 2B

P -- Gustavo Chacin

The Red Sox just released the following statement:

The current weather forecast (provided by the Red Sox private weather service, Meteorlogix) in the vicinity of Fenway Park calls for rain to decrease in intensity as the day progresses and for the possibility of light rain through the afternoon and early evening hours.

The Fenway Park gates will open at the regularly scheduled time of 2:05 p.m. for Sunday’s 4:05 p.m. start, and the Red Sox expect that today’s game with the Toronto Blue Jays will be played.

This forecast is of course subject to change as the day progresses.

The bad news is that the Red Sox patchwork lineup looked totally overmatched against A.J. Burnett and the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-1 loss, mustering just three hits.

The good news is that help is on the way. Injured starters Alex Gonzalez, Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon are all expected to rejoin the team tomorrow. Sox manager Terry Francona said Gonzalez is likely to start at shortstop, but he'd like to give Varitek and Nixon a day to reacclimate themselves.

All three played today for Triple A Pawtucket today, giving the PawSox, who defeated Ottawa, 5-0, a more potent lineup than the big league club, at least for one day.

Batting leadoff and playing short, Gonzalez went 1 for 3. Nixon, who had been 0 for 8 in Pawtucket, went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Varitek, who served as the DH after catching five innings yesterday, went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

The Sox could have used that type of offense against Burnett, who tossed a complete-game three-hitter, striking out five. Toronto's prized free-agent pitcher pick-up sent the Sox to their 13th defeat in 17 games. Boston's only run came on a double-play ground out by Eric Hinske in the seventh.

"We didn't mount much against him," said Francona. "We had the one inning where we got the infield hit [by Youkilis]. We put him in motion and Lowell shoots it to right, and it looks like we have at least a chance to do something and then we hit into the double play."

A few other post-game notes:

-- With Lenny DiNardo (3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, K) pitching out of the bullpen today, Francona said that Julian Tavarez will take Curt Schilling's place in the rotation on Monday against the White Sox. "Unless something crazy happens, that's what we'd like to do," said Francona.

-- Sox rookie rightfielder David Murphy was the focus of the media horde after the game. Murphy got a hit in his first big league at-bat, knocking a solid single to center off Burnett in the third. He received a standing ovation from the Fenway Faithful. "It was incredible," said Murphy, the Sox 2003 first round pick. "What better place? Fenway Park, a packed house today. I got a great ovation from the fans. I couldn't be happier."

-- Today's starter Kevin Jarvis was the 27th pitcher the Sox have utilized this season. That's a new team record. The old record of 26 was set in 1995 and matched each of the last three seasons.

-- The boo birds were out a little bit for Coco Crisp. Crisp, who is battling a strained left shoulder which he injured making a diving catch in Oakland, went 0 for 4 at the plate and is now batting .133 (8 for 60) over his last 15 games.

Prized Toronto free agent acquisition A.J. Burnett held the ailing Sox to just three hits, pitching a complete-game victory. We'll have a post-game update coming up...

Craig Breslow has come on to relieve Lenny DiNardo with one out in the top of the ninth. DiNardo surrendered a home run to Aaron Hill and then walked the last batter that he faced, Vernon Wells. Wells came around to score on a Lyle Overbay double to left off Breslow, giving the Blue Jays a 5-1 lead.

The final line on DiNardo: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, K. He threw 57 pitches, 27 for strikes.

In a game that has the feel of a Spring Training contest, you have to give the depleted Red Sox credit for not mailing it in. The Sox got on the board in the seventh, scratching a run across on an infield single by Kevin Youkilis, a hit-and-run single to right by Mike Lowell, and a run-scoring 4-6-3 double play by Eric Hinkse. Boston now trails Toronto, 3-1, entering the eighth. Lenny DiNardo is still on the hill.

Kevin Jarvis's Red Sox debut is done. The 37-year-old righthander gave a serviceable effort, going five innings and allowing three runs (two earned), while walking two and striking out three. Jarvis threw 93 pitches, 57 for strikes. Lenny DiNardo has come on to replace him in the sixth.. DiNardo is seeing his first major league action since he started against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 21. He missed more than three months with a neck strain.

Jarvis, who leaves trailing 3-0, didn't get a lot of help from his defense in the fifth. Carlos Pena botched a Lyle Overbay grounder that would have ended the inning, setting the stage for Alex Rios's RBI double to left-center field. Coco Crisp took a circuitous route to that ball, which was not catchable, allowing it to bounce around off the wall.

David Murphy had a memorable start to his big league career. Batting with one out in the third, the 24-year-old outfielder hit a sharp single to center off A.J. Burnett in his first major league at-bat. The Fenway Faithful gave Murphy a standing ovation. Murphy was the Red Sox first round pick in 2003 out of Baylor University, where he was a first-team All-American.

Frank Catalanotto has continued to cement his reputation as a Red Sox killer. Catalanotto opened the game with a double to left off Sox starter Kevin Jarvis and scored on Lyle Overbay's scorcher to center, which nearly decapitated Jarvis. In the second Catalanotto socked a two-out double to left to score the second Toronto run. Catalanotto will be a free agent after this season. Maybe, the Sox should pick him up just to keep him from killing them. Jays lead, 2-0, heading into the third.

Addressing his health for the first time since he had a reoccurrence of the chest discomfort that first cropped up on Aug. 19 and forced him to fly back home during the Red Sox recent West Coast trip, David Ortiz said that he is confident that his heart is healthy enough for him to resume his career.

Ortiz said doctors told him they're 97 percent sure that he doesn't have anything wrong with his heart.

"The most important thing to know right now is that I have no problem with my heart," said the Red Sox slugger. "That's the best answer I've had in the last couple of days. The doctors came to me and they tell me, 'Hey, your heart is fine. We're just going to keep on tracking and see if you get the pain back. We're not going to tell you we're 100 percent sure it had nothing to do with you're heart, but we might be 97 percent sure that it doesn't have anything to do with you're heart.'"

Ortiz flew back to Boston on Tuesday and was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital for a battery of tests. He was released on Thursday. He was briefly hospitalized on Aug. 19, during the Yankees five-game sweep at Fenway. That's when the chest pains first started.

Ortiz is still awaiting medical clearance to play and has not resumed any baseball-related activities.

Red Sox medical director Dr. Thomas Gill said that Ortiz will be monitored over the weekend -- Big Papi is currently outfitted with a medical device that allows him to push a button if he experiences chest pain again, recording the episode electronically for doctors to review -- and then his status will be reevaluated on Monday, when the team's doctors consult with the cardiac specialists who interviewed and examined him.

"I don't know I might pinch hit today. I feel that good," said Ortiz with a smile.

Gill refused to comment on the direct causes of Ortiz's chest pain, but the MVP candidate said he thinks it was just due to stress.

However, Ortiz said that when the chest pain cropped up again while the team was in the San Francisco Bay Area, he was concerned it could be something more serious.

"I freaked out because it was in my chest. It was in my heart. I had no idea where it was coming from," said Ortiz, who described the discomfort as a warm feeling in his heart and chest. With so many things going on with heart attacks and things like that you don't want to miss a beat about anything, so I came down here and they took care of business."

Ortiz said he has not experienced any chest pain since he was given medication earlier this week. Gill would not reveal what medication was given to Ortiz. Ortiz said he is no longer on the medication. Beta-Blockers are commonly given to patients who experience abnormal heart rhythms.

"The main thing is I'm feeling good," said Ortiz. "And hopefully I'll be back on the field soon."

According to esteemed colleague Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe, Jonathan Papelbon told reporters that he'll have an MRI on his injured shoulder on Monday and could return in five to seven days.

Papelbon left last night's game with a shoulder injury after throwing 11 pitches in the ninth. Sox manager Terry Francona said in his pre-game meeting with the media that Papelbon came in this morning and said he felt a little stiff, but not particularly tender.

-- Francona said that Curt Schilling, who has come down with a strain of the latissimus dorsi muscle on his right side, is hopeful that he will only have to miss one start. Schilling was to take the hill on Monday in the opener of a series against the Chicago White Sox. Francona said the next time Schilling could start would be Saturday at home against Kansas City. Candidates to take Schilling's turn on Monday include Lenny DiNardo, who was recently reactivated after missing more than three months with a neck strain, and Julian Tavarez, who started and went three innings against Toronto on Thursday.

DiNardo, who has not pitched since being taken off the DL on Thursday, said he's fit enough to take the ball, if asked. "Most definitely. I feel strong. I'm 100 percent better. The pain I felt in my neck every time I threw a pitch is completely gone."

-- Tim Wakefield, who threw approximately 50 pitches in a simulated game yesterday, is scheduled to throw again on Wednesday as he tries to return from a stress fracture in his rib cage. Francona said Wakefield could pitch now, much like he did when he first had the injury, but the team wants the injury to completely heal. "He is getting better, but it's taking a little longer than he wants or we want," said Francona.

-- Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, and Alex Gonzalez are scheduled to play for Pawtucket today in rehab stints. The PawSox are scheduled to face Ottawa at 1:05 p.m. Varitek who caught five innings in last night's game, will DH today. Nixon and Gonzalez are both expected to play the field.

-- Francona was asked what he knows about today's Boston starter Kevin Jarvis. He said not much. "I shook hands with him and had a piece of bacon," said Francona. Jarvis will be the 27th pitcher the Sox have employed this season, setting a new club record. The old mark was 26, set in 1995, 2003, 2004. Those were all playoff seasons for the Sox.

-- David Murphy, the Red Sox 2003 first-round pick, will make his major league debut today, batting ninth and playing right field. On to the rest of lineups:

Sox
1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Alex Cora, SS
3. Mark Loretta, 2B
4. Kevin Youkilis, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Eric Hinske, DH
7. Javy Lopez, C
8. Carlos Pena, 1B
9. David Murphy, RF.

P -- Kevin Jarvis

Blue Jays
1. Frank Catalanotto, LF
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Vernon Wells, CF
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Alex Rios, RF
6. Gregg Zaun, C
7. Adam Lind, DH
8. John Hattig, 3B
9. John McDonald, SS

P -- A.J. Burnett

Red Sox rookie Jon Lester has been diagnosed with a comparatively rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a blood cancer, and will begin treatment in the coming week, according to a statement released by the Red Sox at the family's request.

Lester, 22, who was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday, had initially complained of back pain. During testing, it was determined that he had enlarged lymph nodes, and doctors diagnosed him what the statement called a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is a cancer that orginates in the lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread thoughout your body. According to the Lymphoma Research Foundation website, treatment often involves some form of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biologic therapy, or a combination of these.  Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation may sometimes be used.  Surgery may be used under special circumstances, but is used primarily to obtain a biopsy for diagnostic purposes.

Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1985 and underwent aggressive treatment, including a bone-marrow transplant that was considered experimental at the time.

Jon Lester's family asked the Red Sox to release the following statement:

Jon Lester has been diagnosed with a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma and will begin treatment within the coming week.

Jon and his family wish to thank all those involved in his care at Massachusetts General Hospital. Our gratitude also extends to the Red Sox organization which has provided Jon and his family much needed support during this ordeal.

We ask that you respect our need for privacy during this difficult time.

The Red Sox today issued the following statement on David Ortiz today, saying they'd determine a timetable for his return to the lineup early next week:

"David Ortiz was released from Massachusetts General Hospital on Thursday. He had returned to Boston on August 29th after a day of experiencing palpitations. These were the same sensations David has experienced on the night of August 19th for which he was admitted briefly. At that time his evaluation was unremarkable, including no detection of arrhythmia during episodes of his symptoms.

"David’s care was directed by Dr. Thomas Gill, Medical Director for the Red Sox, Dr. Larry Ronan, Chief Internist for the Red Sox, and the team’s cardiologist, Dr. James Januzzi.

"Dr. Januzzi also consulted heart specialists Dr. Jeremy Ruskin, Chief of the MGH Electrophysiology Lab/ Arrhythmia Service (heart specialty that deals with palpitations) and Dr. Adolph Hutter, who has over 20 years of experience evaluating professional athletes and their heart issues, and published on these issues. These physicians interviewed and examined David and recommended a battery of tests.

"David’s physical examination was normal. The following imaging and functional tests were performed: basic laboratories, electrocardiogram, heart monitoring, echocardiogram, signal averaged electrocardiogram, stress testing, and magnetic resonance imaging. The heart consultants extensively reviewed these tests.

"In brief, David’s testing was unremarkable or normal except for changes commonly found in well-trained athletes.

"Since his return to Boston, David has experienced no further sensations. David’s health and safety remain our primary concerns. The medical staff will continue monitoring David in the outpatient setting with a device called an event monitor. Further testing, if indicated, will be determined by the results of outpatient monitoring. David’s return to play will be reassessed next week."

-- Saturday's game time has been moved up from 7:05 to 1:05 because of forecasted rain. Sunday's time has been moved from 2:05 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. According to the Red Sox' pregame notes, both games will still be shown on NESN.

-- Manager Terry Francona said he spoke to David Ortiz at length this morning: "He wants to play. I saw him this morning. He would like to play. I would like for him to play."

The team is expected to soon announce the slugger's status.

-- The team called up pitcher Craig Breslow and outfielder David Murphy, the team's first round pick in 2003. Both players are expected to play on Saturday.

-- No word on pitcher Jon Lester's condition.

Tonight's lineups:

Red Sox

Crisp, CF
Cora, SS
Loretta, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Lowell, 3B
Mirabelli, C
Pedroia, 2B
Hinske, LF
Kapler, RF

Kyle Snyder, P

Blue Jays

Johnson, LF
Catalanotto, DH
Wells, CF
Glaus, 3B
Overbay, 1B
Rios, RF
Molina, C
Hill, 2B
McDonald, SS

Lilly, P

With the potential of severe weather in the greater Boston area due to Tropical Storm Ernesto for late Saturday and early Sunday, the Red Sox today announced changes in the starting times for the two weekend games with the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

The changes will be as follows:

--The starting time for the game of Saturday, September 2 has been moved from 7:05 p.m. to 1:05 p.m. The Fenway Park gates will open at 11:05 a.m.

--The starting time for the game of Sunday, September 3 has been moved from 2:05 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. The Fenway Park gates will open at 2:05 p.m.

After saying yesterday he was targeting Saturday to return to the Red Sox lineup, David Ortiz told ESPNdesportes.com today that he would instead follow his doctors’ advice and sit out the weekend.

"There's nothing abnormal about my heart," Ortiz told ESPNdeportes.com in a telephone call from Boston. "But doctors would rather wait for final results of a test they are still performing on me, which won't be available until Monday.

"I have a heart rate monitor connected to my body, and whenever I feel some irregular heartbeat, I'm supposed to press a button to alert doctors," Ortiz said. "Doctors will remove the instrument on Monday and, after checking the data produced, will decide whether I can start playing immediately, if I have to wait longer or if I can't play again this season."