01:00 AM EDT on Monday, May 8, 2006

BY STEVEN KRASNER and PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writers

BOSTON -- It took a week for promising right-hander Manny Delcarmen to get into a game. It will be a while before he gets into another one in the big leagues.

After all his inactivity, Delcarmen finally got into a game, working the last inning in the Red Sox' 10-3 win over the Orioles yesterday.

But after the game, Delcarmen was optioned to Pawtucket. And while there was no official word as to who would be promoted to take his place, it seems likely that Boston would fill the opening with another reliever, possibly left-hander Mike Holtz or right-hander Jermaine Van Buren. Prior to yesterday's game, Sox manager Terry Francona talked about having had difficulty finding opportunities for Delcarmen to pitch, and the Sox were concerned that inactivity in the big leagues wasn't in his best developmental interest. In the minors, Delcarmen can pitch on a more regular basis.

He appeared in four games, allowing six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, after being recalled from the PawSox on April 22.

Before being summoned into Francona's office by interim pitching coach Al Nipper , Delcarmen had talked about his outing, his first since April 30.

"They say it's like riding a bicycle, but it felt kind of strange," said Delcarmen, who issued a leadoff walk but then got out of danger on a lineout and a double-play grounder. "You can throw bullpens all day but it isn't the same. The intensity of a game is so different. But when you go out there, they want you to perform."

Tough going fo Papi

David Ortiz is in a slump. The Sox' power-packed designated hitter is in a 1-for-20 skid. The only hit was a three-run, game-winning double against the Orioles on Friday night.

Yesterday, Ortiz produced a run with a sacrifice fly in an 0-for-4 day. His average has tumbled from .297 to .256.

"They're pitching me tough," said Ortiz. "They always pitch me tough, but they've been pitching me backwards. When you're ahead in the count, you're looking for fastballs, but they're throwing off-speed stuff and hitting their spots. Pitchers make mistakes, and when they do, I'm fouling them off.

"That's okay. It's only May. I would feel worse if I wasn't doing anything and we were losing because I wasn't producing," he added. "That helps me out because we're winning."

So far, so good

David Wells (right knee) threw 60 pitches yesterday in his first bullpen session since being placed on the disabled list on April 14.

All went well, so, according to Francona, the plan is for Wells to throw another side session, in New York on Wednesday, and then a simulated game Saturday at Fenway Park. Beyond that, there are no plans for when Wells might be able to leave the DL and pitch for the Sox, or whether he will be making a rehab start or two.

It's a start

Alex Gonzalez finally has started hitting. In his last two games, the Sox' shortstop went 3-for-6 with 3 RBI, raising his average from .184 to .207.

Yesterday, Gonzalez began the game on the bench. Francona elected to start Alex Cora at shortstop.

Gonzalez was only a career .158 hitter against Kris Benson , Baltimore's starter yesterday, but the reason Francona sat Gonzalez had more to do with the fact that he wanted Cora to get some playing time. Cora's last start was on May 1, against the Yankees. He has made eight starts this year, six at shortstop and two at second base.

Loretta's average rising

When the Red Sox began their homestand, Mark Loretta was fighting to stay above the Mendoza line. As the Sox head to New York, Loretta is one of the hottest hitters in the majors.

The Red Sox second baseman reached base on each of his first four trips to the plate yesterday, giving him a streak of six straight (four hits, two walks). After a 2-for-23 slide, he is 8-for-16, with three doubles and five runs, in his last four games to lift his average to .244. He said he does not feel any different than he has all year.

"I'm just trying to stay on the same basic approach -- put some good swings on pitches," he said. "Some balls fall in, some don't. You can't get caught up with numbers too much.

"Playing 10 years now," he said, "you try and take the emotion out of it. Probably the most frustrating part of the game is to do everything correctly and not get rewarded for it. Mentally, that's the toughest thing to do. You've just got to boil it down to percentages. The more times you hit it hard, the more chance you've got."

"Lo is a smart enough kid to know that as frustrating as it is to look up and see your batting average in the low .200s, he's a good professional hitter," said Francona. "You've just got to be patient and kind of keep your swagger. It's easy when you come to the plate and you're hitting .300 to feel good about yourself. When you're not, you've still got to kind of manufacture that."

Around the bases

Right-hander David Riske is slated to throw on a rehab outing for the PawSox Wednesday at McCoy Stadium. . . . The Red Sox, who have today off, will hop on a train in Boston this afternoon for about a four-hour trip to New York for the three-game series against the Yankees, which begins tomorrow night. They will fly home Thursday night after the series finale. . . . The error Lenny DiNardo made on a throw to first base in the third inning was the first, and only one, committed by the Sox on their six-game homestand. The Sox began the day yesterday tied for third, with the Yankees, in the American League with a .990 fielding percentage. . . . With DiNardo picking up the victory, Arizona now is the only remaining team in the majors not to have a left-handed pitcher record a victory. . . . The victory was the first of DiNardo's career, in his 36th appearance. Only Wilbur Wood , who also went 36 games, and Scott Williamson , who pitched in 52 regular-season games without a win, went as long. . . . Baltimore now is 1-9 this season against southpaw starters. The only victory was on Opening Day against Scott Kazmir and the Devil Rays.

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

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