BOSTON -- Bits and pieces from Sunday's game . . .

-- Alex Cora’s soft, quick hands turned a potential leadoff infield single in the eighth for Ichiro Suzuki into an out on his softly hit ball to shortstop. Cora had replaced Julio Lugo at the position at the start of the inning.

-- Welcome to New England weather. On Thursday night, the temperature was 59 degrees when Jon Lester delivered his first pitch. Yesterday, when Justin Masterson threw his first pitch, the temperature was 98 degrees.

-- Third-base coach DeMarlo Hale was smoked off the left ankle by a hard-hit, short-hop shot off the bat of Dustin Pedroia in the third inning. The ball ricocheted off Hale, who was standing in foul territory and tried to jump over the ball, and flew to left field. Hale never flinched after getting hit, nor did he look back at Pedroia.

-- Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are expected to come to Fenway Park to do some throwing Monday on what is a day off for the team. Jacoby Ellsbury likely will try to take batting practice.

-- Starting pitchers Lester, Beckett, Bartolo Colon and Tim Wakefield took batting practice Sunday in preparation for starts in either Cincinnati or Philadelphia. It was the third straight day the starters have taken BP.

-- On Monday’s day off, Jason Varitek will be presiding at his celebrity putt-putt tournament in Middleton, Mass. for the benefit of the Saints Medical Center Foundation and the Celebrities for Charity Foundation; David Ortiz will receive the Children’s Champion Award from UNICEF at the Four Seasons Hotel for the establishment of the first full-time full-service pediatric cardiovascular surgery program in his native Dominican Republic, and Kevin Youkilis will receive the 2008 Good Sport in Sports Award at the Good Sports Legends of the Ball at the Roxy Theater.

-- Pregame ceremonies are on tap for the Sox for the first two games of the upcoming Orioles series. On Tuesday night, the Sox will recognize Manny Ramirez’ 500th home run before the game with the Orioles. Hall of Famer Eddie Murray will participate in the ceremony. On Wednesday night, Ramirez (500th homer), Lester (no-hitter) and Varitek (record fifth no-hitter caught) will present artifacts to officials of baseball’s Hall of Fame from their respective history-making achievements. Red Sox Hall of Famers Wade Boggs, Dennis Eckersley, Bobby Doerr and Carlton Fisk will participate in the ceremony.

-- Warwick native Todd Angilly treated the sellout crowd to a stirring rendition of "God Bless America" before the bottom of the seventh.