08:27 AM EDT on Monday, April 19, 2004

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

AP photo Derek Lowe didn't have much staying power yesterday, allowing eight hits and seven runs in just 2 1/2 innings. He later said: "I struggled from the time I got to the ballpark."

BOSTON -- In retrospect, Derek Lowe's stinkeroo of a pitching performance yesterday in the Boston Red Sox' 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees at Fenway Park probably was to be expected.

His spot in the rotation was skipped earlier in the week because of the back-to-back rainouts. He hadn't pitched since April 7, which resulted in an unusually long 10 days of rest between starts.

And Lowe was facing an underachieving team of All-Stars that was due to get a few hits, even if most of them were bloops and bleeders.

All of which fed into one of the worst performances of the sinkerballer's career. Lowe, who admitted he knew he was in trouble from the very first inning, was raked for seven runs on eight hits in only 2 2/3 innings.

A six-run surge in the third inning put New York on top, 7-1. The Yankees quashed a Red Sox rally courtesy of outstanding defensive plays by third baseman Alex Rodriguez and first baseman Travis Lee in the bottom of the inning.

After that, both bullpens threw blanks as New York won for the first time in three games here, with the series finale set for 11 o'clock this morning.

"I'm not an excuse-maker, but 10 days off doesn't help," said Lowe, who fell to 1-1 while his earned-run average jumped from 3.00 to 9.35.

"I can't remember feeling that bad in a game. And (catcher) Jason (Varitek), I could see it in his eyes that he was searching to find a game plan to where we'd find some success. But we never found one. I struggled from the time I got to the ballpark."

The potential for him to struggle was a concern of Lowe's when he got the news on Wednesday, after the second consecutive rainout, that his turn was going to be skipped. He was called into a meeting with general manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Dave Wallace and told about the team's plans.

Francona wanted Pedro Martinez pitching on his fifth day. And Francona also wanted to slide knuckleballer Tim Wakefield between power pitchers Martinez and Curt Schilling. So Lowe was the odd-man out, with fifth starter Bronson Arroyo pushed back, too. Arroyo, though, was used out of the bullpen.

"One guy had to take the hit for the other four," said Lowe, reiterating what he had been told in that meeting.

Wakefield and Schilling, it should be noted, each beat the Yankees over the first two games of the series.

"They benefited," said Lowe, who can become a free agent after the season.

There were times after yesterday's game when Lowe seemed to resent the fact that it was he who was told to "take the hit." Lowe won 38 games over the last two seasons. Only Toronto's Roy Halladay (41) had won more over that span in the big leagues.

"I can't remember Roy Halladay pitching every 11 days," said Lowe when pressed. "He pitches every five days. But I don't want to get into that. We've got the best rotation in baseball. Pedro, Wake, Schilling -- those guys are outstanding. I won't say anything negative about the organization. At this stage of my career I'm past that. It's individual stats in this game, but it's a team game. You put your feelings aside and do what's best for the team.

"What happened is what it is. I didn't pitch very well."

Lowe made it through the first inning unscathed, but the right-hander was nicked for a run in the second, and then imploded in the third when the Yankees, who were batting a paltry .206 for the season, reached him for six runs on six hits and a walk.

AP photo While it appeared Boston's Manny Ramirez slid under the tag of New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada in the third inning yesterday, home plate umpire Larry Young saw it differently.

By the time Enrique Wilson delivered a run-scoring single on an 0-and-2 pitch, Lowe was often looking over his shoulder at the Red Sox dugout, seemingly begging to be taken out. Finally, after Bernie Williams had looped Lowe's 75th pitch over third base for an RBI double, Francona obliged the struggling Lowe and gave him the hook.

Boston was trailing, 7-1, when Lowe was rescued. The Red Sox knocked out Yankee starter Jose Contreras in the bottom of the inning, scoring a pair of runs. But A-Rod threw out Manny Ramirez trying to score on a grounder on a close play at the plate.

And Lee's diving stab of Varitek's shot down the line, leading to his toss to pitcher Paul Quantrill, who barely kept his foot on the bag, saved two runs and possibly the game for the Yanks.

Boston managed only two baserunners over the final four innings, unable to take Lowe off the hook.

"I wouldn't have done anything differently," said Francona of his decision to skip Lowe. "Nobody feels worse about this than me and Dave Wallace. I made the decision. And you feel for (Lowe) because he was struggling out there. That's not the way you want to throw the ball, and we paid the price for that. The good thing is that won't be the way he (always) throws. He will be consistently good."

Lowe will get his chance to prove his manager right on Friday, when he opens a three-game series in Yankee Stadium.

"I know it sounds weird to say, but I'm looking forward to it because I'll be on 4 days' rest and not 10," said Lowe. "And there's something to be said about that."