BOSTON — The media sometimes makes too much of the batter-versus-pitcher numbers, emphasizing a batter’s success or lack thereof on too small a sample.

But in the case of the Tigers’ Magglio Ordonez versus Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, it’s safe to say that Ordonez owns Wakefield.

Ordonez, Detroit’s cleanup hitter, launched a three-run homer to the back row of the Monster seats in the third inning, improving his batting average against Wakefield to .438 (14-for-32). And his success has come with power and production — two homers and eight RBI.

Ordonez’s batting average against Wakefield climbed to .455 when he roped a first-pitch single that one-hopped the wall in left in the fifth.

Manager Terry Francona wouldn’t let Wakefield face Ordonez in the eighth inning. After Wakefield issued a leadoff walk, Francona pulled Wakefield (105 pitches) and brought in Brendan Donnelly to face Ordonez.

Donnelly retired Ordonez on a routine fly ball to center. But he already had done enough damage last night. His three-run homer put Detroit ahead, 4-1, and the Sox couldn’t catch up.

Testing Ramirez

Detroit third-base coach Gene Lamont, who was a coach for Jimy Williams with the Red Sox in 2001, is familiar with Manny Ramirez.

And clearly he hasn’t been impressed with Ramirez’s defensive skills.

So with runners at first and second and two outs in the fourth and the Tigers already holding a 4-1 lead, Lamont elected to challenge Ramirez’s arm strength and accuracy in a why-not coaching move, given the score, the number of outs and the outfielder.

Lamont sent Pudge Rodriguez, the Tigers’ catcher, from second base on Curtis Granderson’s line-drive single to left.

Ramirez, playing shallow, as usual, made a nice short-hop pickup of the ball. Rodriguez was still about a step and a half away from the third-base bag when Ramirez had the ball.

Ramirez, as is his custom, got rid of the ball quickly. Catcher Doug Mirabelli collected the one-hop throw and slapped the tag on a sliding Rodriguez, who was out by several feet.

Lamont, though, wasn’t swayed in his opinion that the Tigers could run on Ramirez. And once again it was Rodriguez he waved home from second, this time with Detroit up, 5-1, and two outs in the eighth, another good opportunity to take a chance.

Ramirez had to charge Craig Monroe’s single and his throw wasn’t as strong, coming in on two bounces, allowing Rodriguez just enough time to slide past Mirabelli with an insurance run.

Hustle backfires

Monroe’s hustle in the first inning may have cost the Tigers left fielder a chance at throwing out Kevin Youkilis at the plate.

With runners at first and second and two outs, J.D. Drew hit a liner to left. Youkilis, who does not have blazing speed, took off from second at the crack of the bat.

Monroe, thinking he might have a shot at catching Drew’s sinking liner, came in hard and made a dive for the ball. He came up short. He had to short-hop the ball, and by the time he was able to get up and fire home, Youkilis easily beat his hurried and wide throw.

Had Monroe played Drew’s ball on one hop and gloved it cleanly, with his momentum going toward home plate, he would have had a chance to throw out Youkilis.

New wrinkle for Wakefield

Every now and then, Wakefield will mix in a fastball or two.

And when he does, it’s generally for one or two reasons. It may be because he’s behind in the count and wants a get-me-over pitch to avoid a walk. At other times, it will be the surprise element of the pitch.

The second scenario gave Wakefield a strikeout of Placido Polanco leading off the fifth. With the count full, instead of fluttering another knuckleball to the plate, Wakefield threw a 75-mph fastball that froze Polanco for a called strike three.

Catch of the day

Mirabelli made a play-of-the-day catch in the fifth inning.

Gary Sheffield lofted a foul ball to the left of home plate, near the low wall just off the Tigers’ on-deck circle. The ball wasn’t hit very high.

Mirabelli raced to to the wall, reaching for the ball. It bounced out of his glove.

But he was able to react quickly enough, and avoid the fans, to snatch it out of the air with his bare hand.

Mirbaelli has been known to catch foul popups while holding his mask in his bare hand instead of tossing it away. He does that at times on basic, around-home-plate popups, which is counter to what coaches say, but if he has to make a catch on the run he will get rid of the mask.

Miscounting

Maybe the rules are different in the National League.

But when Detroit’s Justin Verlander bounced a changeup past his catcher in the sixth with Drew at bat, Drew trotted to first base, thinking he had walked.

There was one problem. The errant pitch made the count 3-and-2. Plate umpire Gary Darling called Drew back to the plate to finish his at-bat. He flied out to center on Verlander’s next pitch, ending the inning.

skrasner@projo.com