01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, April 17, 2005

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

PAWTUCKET -- Tim Kester had a rough week, and it didn't get any better yesterday.

The Pawtucket Red Sox right-hander was moved from the bullpen into the starting rotation after the club released John Stephens on Friday. Kester was notified late that night about his new assignment, but it didn't go as planned against Buffalo.

The Bisons tagged Kester for eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits through 3 1/3 innings en route to a 10-3 rout over Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium.

"I didn't feel too good, obviously," he said later.

A season ago, the 33-year-old led the PawSox' starting rotation with 12 wins and earned Triple-A All-Star honors. In his first two appearances this season, he picked up right where he left off. Kester tossed three scoreless innings of relief in Indianapolis last week, allowing one hit and matched that outing in an emergency start in Louisville.

Yesterday, though, he imploded.

Without making excuses, Kester said after yesterday's game that he hasn't been feeling well all week as the flu bug is making its way around the PawSox' clubhouse. The team had an early-morning flight from Louisville on Friday morning and he didn't get much sleep before the home-opener later that night. His close friend and road roommate, Stephens, was released. And, to top it all off, Kester's apartment wasn't ready and he needed to go to a hotel late Friday night.

It wasn't the kind of upbeat week he was hoping for.

"That just wasn't a vintage Kester outing," Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said. "He struggled with his command, which he never does. He has well above-average command, but he was just out of sync. And, it's nothing I didn't expect from the entire team. I'm a firm believer in the 48-hour effect."

The team arrived home from its first road trip of the season around 1 p.m. Friday afternoon and posted a thrilling, 4-3, extra-innings victory over the Bisons. Then, playing a day game after a night game isn't always easy.

"It was just one of those days and all the guys are just battling to get their bodies working properly," Johnson said. "It just didn't happen and I tip my hat to our guys to battle back."

Buffalo scored twice in the top of the second before Pawtucket's Kelly Shoppach belted a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning. Pawtucket took the a 3-2 lead in the third inning, but Kester struggled in the fourth.

The Bisons ripped him for six runs and an 8-3 lead they never relinquished. Buffalo added to its lead in the fifth and sixth with solo home runs off reliever Denney Tomori for a 10-3 final.

"The road trip had an effect," Kester said. "I hate to make excuses because it sounds weak, but I just didn't feel good. I don't know what the reason was, but physically I wasn't at the top of my game."

The PawSox made it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases to no avail.

"Some days you get the bull," Johnson said, "some days you get the horns. (Friday) we rode the bull and (yesterday) we got the horns."

Despite the loss, the good news is Kester will remain in the starting rotation and that's exactly where he wanted to be.

"I'm happy I'm starting," he said. "But sometimes it's difficult to prepare [when you're not expecting it]. There's no excuse, it just wasn't my day. I just didn't have it."

Johnson, the new Pawtucket skipper who managed Kester in Double-A Portland in 2003, says yesterday was just a fluke.

"I've already forgot about that outing," Johnson said. "This kid can pitch, so I'm not worried about him. I have all the confidence in the world in him."