01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, March 28, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Before the main fight card between Julian Tavarez and Joey Gathright got under way yesterday, Red Sox heavyweight David Wells made his final Grapefruit League appearance.

It went well -- for two innings.

Wells retired six of the first seven Tampa Bay Devil Rays he faced, then blew up in the third inning, allowing six runs on five hits. He came back and pitched well in the fourth in a game the Sox went on to win, 12-11.

"The first two (innings) were great," said Wells, "though I didn't feel any different (in the third). I was just trying to make my pitches -- no excuses. I tried to make some adjustments -- too late."

Wells, who was initially going to pitch Saturday in Philadelphia, will instead throw in a minor-league game here this weekend. A player can't be back-dated on the disabled list if he appears in a game in which admission is charged.

By having him pitch in a minor-league game, the Red Sox will be able to place him on the DL retroactive to today, and have him eligible to come off in time to make his first start of the season on April 12.

Wells will travel with the Red Sox to Texas, where the club opens the season. But when the Sox move on to Baltimore, Wells will detour to Pawtucket and make an April 7 start at McCoy Stadium.

That start likely will come in cold weather, but Wells seemed undaunted.

"I might as well do it there," he said, "and see how I respond and get ready for the 12th."

David Pauley will start Saturday against the Phillies instead of Wells.

Foulke effective

Keith Foulke worked a perfect sixth inning, recording a strikeout. It was his third appearance in the last four days.

Scouts behind the plate measured Foulke's fastball at 85-86 mph, the same as it had been last Friday in a Triple-A game against Ottawa and Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

His changeup continues to be effective, and was clocked at 74 mph, giving him good separation from his fastball.

"If he has that pitch working," said manager Terry Francona , "there's a little more margin for error."

A wild game

Yesterday's game featured 29 hits, 23 runs, one bench-clearing brawl and warnings to both dugouts. Mark Loretta collected three hits while Willie Harris and Manny Ramirez had two each.

Ramirez, Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek had two RBI each.

First baseman Hee Seop Choi was drilled in the back in the eighth inning after the bench-clearing brawl in the top of the inning. Choi later worked a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to force home the winning run.

Around the bases

The Sox will bring a host of minor-leaguers to Philadelphia to give them extra bodies. . . . Matt Clement faces the Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota tonight in the final Florida road game of the spring for the Sox.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340