BOSTON -- In a surreal setting for the regular-season finale, rookie Devern Hansack, making just his second appearance in the big leagues, didn't allow a hit over five innings in the Red Sox rain-shortened, 9-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Still, his effort won't be recognized as an official no-hitter. The game was halted after five innings, and following a 41-minute delay, was called.

Under a rule change adopted by Major League Baseball in 1991, pitchers must pitch nine innings to be credited with an official no-hitter. Nine pitchers in American League history have pitched no-hitters less than nine innings.Matt Young, also with the Red Sox, was the last to do so, on April 12, 1992. He went eight innings in a 2-1 loss at Baltimore.

"It was very, very exciting," said the native of Nicaragua, "but nobody can stop the rain. It's not disappointing because I don't know that it would have (continued if the game had been completed)."

Hansack does, however, get credit for a complete-game shutout. The shutout was the first of the season for the Sox, who, until yesterday, had just two complete games all season, and the first for a Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez blanked the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-0 on Aug. 12, 2004. He's the first rookie to throw a complete-game shutout since Paul Quantril on July 4, 1993 at Seattle.

The teams waited out a rain delay of 3:23 before starting the game.

Relegated to third

Last year, the Red Sox went down to the final day and finished in a statistical tie for first place, though the division was officially awarded to the Yankees based-on head-to-head play.

Yesterday, the Sox fell out of second place and were locked into a third-place finish even before they took the field after Toronto beat the Yankees, 7-5. The third-place finish was the lowest since 1997.

Boston's victory total of 86 was its lowest since 2001, when the Sox went 82-79.

Fitting tributes

Francona did his best to pay tribute to a number of veteran players, some of whom aren't expected to be back next season.

Trot Nixon, who will be a free agent and likely has finished his Red Sox career, hit leadoff and was greeted with a standing ovation in his first plate appearance.

After going 1-for-3 with a single, Nixon was lifted in the top of the fifth, coming off the field and replaced by David Murphy. Nixon tipped his cap to the appreciative crowd, which was thinned considerably by the rain.

"I really wasn't sure how to acknowledge it," said Nixon, whose history with the Sox dates back to 1993. "But it means a lot for me play in this city, in front of these fans. I don't know where I'm going to be next, but who knows -- I might end my career here before it's over."

Second baseman Mark Loretta, another free agent not expected to return, came off the field in favor of rookie Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia is expected to be the team's second baseman next season.

Loretta labeled his season in Boston "second-to-none. The destination wasn't where we wanted to be, but the journey was great."

David Oritz, who was 0-for-1 with two walks, came out in the fourth after drawing a walk, replaced by pinch-runner Doug Mirabelli. Ortiz, too, was wildly applauded. He became the first Red Sox hitter to lead the league in homers since Manny Ramirez did so in 2004.

Ortiz also led the league with 137 RBI. The last Red Sox player to lead the A.L. in both homers and RBI was Tony Armas in 1984.

Around the bases

In what was probably his final at-bat as a member of the Sox, Loretta homered over everything in left, his fifth homer of the season and first in exactly two months . . . Mike Lowell 's three-run homer in the first was the first by a Sox hitter with more than one runner on base since Aug. 31. The homer was Lowell's 20th of the season, marking the fourth time in his career he's reached that plateau . . . Hansack was the seventh Red Sox pitcher to earn his first major-league win this season, a club record . . . The Sox finished the year by drawing 2,930,588 fans, a franchise record . . . ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

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