01:00 AM EDT on Friday, July 23, 2004

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Scott Williamson passed the day-after test and will throw another bullpen session today.

The right-hander, on the disabled list because of nerve impingement in the right elbow, threw 28 pitches at about 80 percent velocity on Wednesday. He said yesterday he felt fine.

Manager Terry Francona and Williamson differ on whether he'll need a rehabilitation outing before being activated.

"He'll probably need a rehab. I think before we activate him we have to make sure he's healthy," said Francona.

"There's no need to waste my bullets in Pawtucket. It's too late in the season for that," said Williamson. "Maybe I could have a simulated game and I'll be ready to go."

Francona said Williamson could rejoin the Sox during the next road trip, a two-week, four-city jaunt that begins Monday in Baltimore.

Irritating issue

Derek Lowe is scheduled to start Sunday night's game against the Yankees, but he's still sporting an ugly blister on the right thumb.

He said when the blister starts to affect him, which it did during his start last Wednesday in Seattle, his thumb gets numb, so he can't feel the ball coming out of his hand. He said it especially bothers him when he throws his bread-and-butter pitch, the sinker.

Hello, goodbye

The paperwork shuffle included a couple of transactions yesterday.

Abe Alvarez's contract was purchased from Double A Portland. Left-hander Jimmy Anderson, who had a 6.00 E.R.A. in five outings for the Red Sox, was deisgnated for assignment. Alvarez started the first game of yesterday's day-nighter.

Between games, Alvarez was optioned back to Portland. His roster spot was taken by veteran utility infielder Ricky Gutierrez. The Sox made room on their 40-man roster for Gutierrez by transferring Ellis Burks from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.

Gutierrez, who has been fighting injuries, including neck surgery of a couple of years ago, has been with the Cleveland, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs organizations this season. He was obtained Wednesday from the Cubs' Triple A farm club in Iowa. He started last night's game.

"I've started feeling like the old Ricky again," said Gutierrez, 34. "I'm just happy to be back in the big leagues."

Gutierrez went 1-for-3 and played a solid shortstop, giving Nomar Garciaparra, who had played in the first game, a night off. His first Red Sox hit was a double off the wall in left-center in the fourth.

Nobody's perfect

The Orioles' Miguel Tejada and Jerry Hairston Jr. had similar performances in the opener. Each made major offensive contributions. Each made defensive gems. And each committed a baserunning blunder.

Tejada, the Orioles' All-Star shortstop, crushed a two-run homer in the first and doubled in the third. He robbed Mark Bellhorn of an RBI single in the second, grabbing a ball up the middle and making a strong throw across his body to nail Bellhorn at first. He ended the game with a similar play, robbing Bill Mueller.

On the bases, though, he forgot how many outs there were, getting trapped off second for an inning-ending double play on Javy Lopez's popup to first.

Hairston, a second baseman by trade now playing some outfield, doubled home a run in fifth. He also made a sliding catch after a long run, hauling on Garciaparra's foul popup, ending the third inning, stranding a runner at third.

But he was picked off third by Boston catcher Jason Varitek when Baltimore had runners at second and third and one out in the second, already up, 3-0, and threatening to blow the game open early.

Extra bases

Left-hander Lenny DiNardo, on the DL because of a blister, is throwing at the Sox' minor league complex in Ft. Myers, Fla. He's trying to regain his delivery, which he had altered somewhat to compensate for the blister. . . . Matthew Lima of Warwick was selected for the "Play Ball" pregame exhortation. . . . The Sox signed eighth-round pick Kyle Bono, a right-hander who pitched for the University of Central Florida. . . . The two-homer game by Melvin Mora in the opener was the second of his career. . . . Rodrigo Lopez is now 3-0 with a 1.06 E.R.A. against Boston this season, and 8-2 for his career against the Red Sox. . . . Bellhorn walked once in the doubleheader, boosting his season total to 64, tying injured Frank Thomas for the league lead. Bellhorn also whiffed four times, pushing his league-lead strikeout total to 110 (in 346 at-bats). Oakland's Jermaine Dye was a distant second, with 94 . . . Manny Ramirez, who knocked in a run on a groundout in the first inning of the second game, is 4-for-22 with 2 RBI in seven games since the All-Star break . . . Johnny Damon, so red-hot before the break, is in an 0-for-15 skid and is only 4-for-33 since the three-day vacation. His average has plunged from .321 to .303 . . . Tim Wakefield has not allowed an earned run in three of his last five starts. Last night was his 238th start, moving him into a tie with Luis Tiant for third on the Sox' all-time list. . . . Kevin Youkilis has reached safely in 34 of his 40 big-league games . . . The shutout was the Sox' ninth of the year, tops in the majors. Florida and Atlanta each have eight.