NEW YORK — Coco Crisp, who has missed the last five games because of tightness in his left oblique, was back in center field last night.

Crisp tested his side in Baltimore, taking batting practice on Wednesday and Thursday in the indoor cage, and he convinced manager Terry Francona that he was able to return to the lineup.

Even with the risk of Crisp showing signs of rust at the plate, Francona preferred him playing in the spacious center field in Yankee Stadium anyway rather than Wily Mo Pena.

But Crisp wasn’t rusty at all. He singled in his first at-bat last night, in the second, and drove in a run with another single in his last at-bat, the ninth. He went 2-for-5 for the night.

Pena snapped out of his offensive funk on Thursday night with a ringing double and an absolutely crushed grand slam, giving the Sox a 5-2 win over Baltimore.

Last night the Yankees started a left-hander, Andy Pettitte. Pena has hit left-handers much better in his career because their breaking balls are moving in to him. It’s the right-handers’ breaking stuff, moving away from him, that especially gives him trouble.

But Francona still elected to go with Crisp.

“Yeah, I certainly thought about [playing Pena],” said Francona. “[But] it’s a big outfield. We can always pinch-hit him, but when you’ve got a pitcher like [Daisuke Matsuzaka] going, it’s important to have defense.”

Cheat sheet

Catcher Jason Varitek has been learning some Japanese phrases to help him communicate with Matsuzaka.

But in the heat of battle, Vartitek doesn’t have to rely on his mental recall for vocabulary. Much like a football quarterback, Varitek is wearing a cheat sheet of phrases on his arm during games.

Matsuzaka has been learning English, too, and on the field it’s getting easier and easier for the communication to flow smoothly.

“Dice-K knows baseball terminology,” said Francona. “He’s a very bright kid. He’s picking [English] up fast.”

You asking me?

Francona was asked if he was surprised to look at the standings and see the lordly Yankees in the basement in the American League East.

“How can I answer that? No?,” he said. “That’s tough for me to answer. They’re a good team. How good are they going to be? That’s why you play the games. It’s so early. They haven’t hit their stride yet, obviously. I hope they don’t hit it for another three days.”

Back at full strength

When the Red Sox swept the Yankees in a three-game series last weekend in Fenway Park, New York did not have its impressive lineup intact.

Not that anyone was suggesting things would have been different, but the Yanks were missing several key cogs because of injury. And in losing to Toronto on Thursday night, while others had returned, New York was missing shortstop and captain Derek Jeter (sore leg).

But last night, the lineup had its relentless look again.

Hideki Matsui, who missed last weekend’s series, returned earlier this week, as did catcher Jorge Posada, who suffered a bruised thumb in the opener at Fenway and was limited to three innings and three plate appearances in that series.

On paper, the only weak link would be the Yanks’ number-nine hitter, Doug Mientkiewicz.

Separation of duties

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia is struggling at the plate.

But it hasn’t affected his defense. Thursday night, for instance, Pedroia made all of the routine plays, gobbling up seven ground balls, including five in a row at one stretch. One of them was a tough play to his left, which he turned into an important forceout at second in the seventh with the Sox down by only one run.

“That’s expected (from Pedroia). That’s part of what makes him a good player. He knows how to play the game,” said Francona of Pedroia’s ability to separate his offense from his defense.

skrasner@projo.com