ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Alex Cora is not a physically imposing player. And for the Red Sox, he's merely a utility infielder.

But Cora knows how to play the game right. He gives Boston a quality at-bat almost every time he steps into the batter's box. And his smarts show up in subtle ways.

Or in big ways, as happened last night. The Sox had the bases filled and one out in the seventh, trying to add to a 1-0 lead. Cora was the runner at first.

He was not being held on closely, so he got a big lead. So when Doug Mirabelli hit a chopper to shortstop, a potential inning-ending, rally-killing double play, Cora was flying toward the bag.

Angels' shortstop Orlando Cabrera, normally a smart player himself, fielded the chopper about five feet behind the bag. Thinking it would be easier for him to step on the bag and throw to first for the double play, he elected not to toss to second baseman Adam Kennedy for the pivot.

But Cabrera hadn't accounted for Cora's jump and speed. Cora beat Cabrera to the bag, and almost took him out to the point to where Cabrera could have thrown the relay away. When the dust settled, because of Cora's hustle, the Red Sox had another run in for a 2-0 bulge and runners at second and third.

A painful lesson

Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera knows how to handle the bat.

He can execute the hit-and-run, and he's also a pretty good bunter.

But hopefully there were no kids watching when Carbrera tried to bunt for a hit on an 0-and-1 pitch from Boston's Josh Beckett in the first inning last night.

Cabrera wrapped his right hand around the bat, exposing his fingers to the ball, instead of cupping the bat between his thumb and index finger in a way to expose only the wood to the ball, and not flesh and bones.

The pitch, a 94-mph fastball, hit Cabrera's index finger. He walked around the batter's box, shaking his hand, feeling the pain. Then, to his credit, he got back in the box and ripped a double to right-center on the next pitch, a 95-mph heater.

But he called time after reaching second and, after being examined by the trainer, went back into the dugout and had blood wiped from the spot and a bandage applied. He was able to stay in the game.

Cabrera also is a heady defensive player. But he misplayed a popup in shallow center in the second, giving Mike Lowell a leadoff single. Cabrera drifted out for the ball and appeared to be calling for it, causing center fielder Chone Figgins to pull up.

At the last minute, Cabrera stopped and looked at Figgins. The catchable ball thus fell safely a foot or so behind Cabrera.

Ortiz adjusts

Manny Ramirez's absence from the batting order was felt immediately by David Ortiz, who usually bats in front of Ramirez.

Ortiz batted with two outs and none on in the first inning, and it was clear that Angels starter Jered Weaver wanted no part of the Sox' burly designated hitter. He walked him on five pitches, while trying to get Ortiz to chase a pitch beyond the outer edge of the plate.

Ortiz rarely chases pitches out of the strike zone. And he didn't in this at-bat, either, drawing his 90th walk of the season.

Kevin Youkilis, batting behind Ortiz last night, dunked a single to right. Youkilis had been 2-for-9 in two previous games as the Red Sox' cleanup hitter.

The budding two-out rally fizzled when Eric Hinske flied to shallow center on a 3-and-1 pitch.

The situation didn't bother Oritz in the fourth. Leading off, he mashed his 46th home run of the year, to right field, giving Boston a 1-0 lead.

Beckett changes strategy

Beckett, who took himself to task for having "stupid stubborness" in his last start, a disaster against the Yankees last Saturday, was his hard-headed, and fast-ball-throwing self in the first inning last night.

The right-hander's first 15 pitches were fastballs. At least Beckett was throwing strikes, pounding the zone with heaters generally from 93-95 mph. He didn't throw a breaking pitch until a 78-mph curveball to Garret Anderson with two on and two outs, a pitch that Anderson, clearly fooled, took for a strike.

The next pitch was another fastball, and Anderson flied to shallow center, ending the inning.

Beckett broke out the curveball in the second inning, throwing three of them in a five-pitch at-bat to Howie Kendrick, who went fishing and came up empty for a strikeout on the third one.

A quick pass

It is not unusual for Boston manager Terry Francona to call for his pitcher to issue an intentional walk to Vladimir Guerrero when the former MVP bats with a runner or runners on base and first base open.

Last night, such an occasion arose. The Angels had a runner at second with two outs in the first.

But Beckett, whose recent outings have been abbreviated partly because of high pitch counts, apparently didn't want to waste any pitches. Instead of issuing four wide ones to Guerrero, he drilled Guerrero on the left shoulder with his first pitch, a fastball traveling at 93 mph.

Missed opportunity

Anderson had the whole play in front of him.

He saw Cabrera dance off second base and get a huge running jump off Beckett with two outs in the first. Cabrera would have stolen the base standing he had such a jump.

But Anderson elected to swing at the pitch anyway, even though it was the first one in the at-bat and he could have taken it to let to Cabrera move up a base. And he fouled it off, so Cabrera had to go back to second, where he eventually was stranded when Anderson flied out.

Izturis takes cover

The on-deck circle is supposed to be a safe haven for a hitter, allowing him a chance to study the pitcher and take a few practice swings.

But it turned out to be a dangerous place for the Angels' Maicer Izturis in the sixth.

As Izturis was taking a few practice swings, Chone Figgins fouled a ball off at an odd angle that struck Izturis on the right foot as he tried to dodge the bullet. Izturis hit the dirt, but was able to then get up and shake it off.

And in his turn at-bat, he smacked a single to center.

Pena makes them pay

Clearly the Angels have no respect for Wily Mo Pena's throwing arm.

In the seventh inning the Angels were down, 2-0. They had runners at second and third with none out. Howie Kendrick ripped a single through the left side.

Garret Anderson easily scored from third. But third-base coach Dino Ebel inexplicably waved home slow-footed Juan Rivera from second as Pena collected the ball in left field.

Rivera chugged home, Pena made a high throw. But the ball got to Mirabelli in time for him to slap the tag on Rivera, who tried to evade the catcher wide to the third-base side and get his hand to the plate.

Had the throw been off-line a hair, Rivera would have scored the tying run. But, with no outs, it wasn't a great gamble to take. And while Kendrick made it to second on the throw with one out, he was stranded and the Angels still were down, 2-1.

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