BOSTON — Order seemingly was restored in the Boston Red Sox’ clubhouse when outfielder Manny Ramirez was dispatched to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

The players seemed more relaxed and focused.

Unfortunately, the Sox’ bullpen remains in a state of flux, and for the first night post-Manny, there were the same offensive struggles as the Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics battled last night.

Despite that, the Red Sox were able to pull out a much-needed 2-1 victory over the A’s in 12 innings. Jason Bay, in his first start since being acquired in a three-way deal for Manny Ramirez got the key hit, tripling off the Wall. After J.D. Drew was walked intentionally, rookie Jed Lowie singled up the middle. That allowed Bay to score, ending a three-game losing streak and improving Boston’s record on the homestand to 2-5.

Along the way, the Red Sox lost Mike Lowell.

Lowell, installed in the cleanup spot with Manny taking his act to the West Coast, had to leave the game after straining his right hamstring to beat out an infield single with two outs in the 10th inning. Oakland third baseman Jack Hannahan tried to bare-hand the soft roller and couldn’t make a throw, but Lowell was running hard in case a play was made at first and seemed to have injured his right leg.

Lowell didn’t protest too much as he was led off the field by manager Terry Francona and trainer Paul Lessard, hardly a good sign, though there was no immediate word on the seriousness of Lowell’s injury.

Hideki Okajima, though, remains a mystery man in the Sox’ bullpen after blowing yet another save last night.

Francona has said several times during the season that the Sox need Okajima to be as successful in the eighth-inning role as he was a year ago, helping Boston capture its second World Series crown in four years.

After Okajima worked a spotless eighth inning Tuesday night, Francona thought he saw the “old” Okajima reemerging.

So Francona was hoping order had been restored in his bullpen. Manny Delcarmen entered last night’s game in the seventh inning and retired the two hitters he faced, escaping a jam and preserving Tim Wakefield’s 1-0 lead.

Next he called on Okajima for the eighth, with closer Jonathan Papelbon getting loose in the bullpen. Francona’s hope was that Okajima would blank Oakland in the eighth, giving Papelbon a clean ninth with a save on the line.

Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way.

Okajima coughed up the save, surrendering a two-out homer to Jack Cust that barely cleared the top of the Green Monster, a decision the umpires reached in a huddle after the ball was initially ruled in play, with Cust making it to third base, and agitated Oakland manager Bob Geren calling for, and receiving, a correct call of a home run.

Startlingly, Cust’s 20th homer of the year represented Okajima’s seventh blown save in eight chances this year.

Okajima got out of the inning without further damage despite allowing a walk, but with Francona having to bring in Papelbon at the start of the ninth in a tie game, the unsettled Boston bullpen, a scary situation that wasn’t addressed at the trading deadline, still looms as a major issue for the Red Sox down the stretch.

Lost in the shuffle was an excellent start by Wakefield.

The knuckleballer breezed his way through the Athletics’ lineup, permitting only four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Oakland hitters were able to square up precious few of his dancing pitches, lofting many harmless pop-ups and fly balls.

Wakefield, though, was lifted in the seventh with a 1-0 lead after Mark Ellis dunked a one-out single to right-center and Jack Hannahan drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch.

Delcarmen stranded those runners and Okajima retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth, but Wakefield’s win went out the window on Cust’s homer off the tin that protects the first row of Monster seat patrons. That blow knotted the game at 1-1 and constituted the sixth time this year that the bullpen has squandered a lead for Wakefield.Red Sox

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skrasner@projo.com