BOSTON - Those who complain about any negative Manny Ramirez comments should pass on this item. This may be construed as Manny Bashing.

Leading off the second inning, Ramirez hit a high popup behind first base that twisted in the wind. Angels first baseman Casey Kotchman was in obvious trouble trying to track this ball in the bright sunshine and the swirling wind.

Ramirez could see all of that. The play was right in his path.

Nevertheless, Ramirez lolly-gagged his way down the first-base line. So when the ball fell safely onto the grass, totally missing Kotchman’s glove about 15 feet behind the dirt part of the infield, Ramirez had barely made it to first base.

It should have been a double, had he been running out of the box.

As things turned out, it didn’t matter. Kevin Youkilis walked, pushing Ramirez to second. Ramirez was held up at third on Jed Lowrie’s single to center and scored on Coco Crisp’s one-out chopper to the right side.

-STEVEN KRASNER