BOSTON — Manny who?

Mike Lowell has settled into the cleanup spot quite nicely since Manny Ramirez was forced to the sidelines last week because of an oblique muscle strain.

Indeed, Lowell has kept up his hot hitting, which last night included a three-run homer in the first inning, and extended his hitting streak to 16 games, tying a career-high.

Lowell also was credited with another RBI when Toronto third baseman Troy Glaus misplayed his potential double-play grounder with the bases loaded in the fourth, boosting his season total to 101.

That makes Lowell the first Red Sox third baseman to notch 100 RBI in a season in 30 years. Butch Hobson had 112 in 1977. It’s the third 100-RBI season of his nine-year career, and his first since he had 105 for the Florida Marlins in 2003.

Lowell, 33, is a free agent after this season. He has made $9 million in each of the last two seasons after Boston was forced to take him as part of the Josh Beckett deal.

Lowell, who had a miserable 2005 season in Florida, got off to a hot start with Boston in 2006 but tailed off in the second half, batting a mere .257 with 34 RBI.

This year, he also got off to a hot start and, despite a lull around and after the All-Star break, Lowell has had an outstanding second half. He is batting .383 (74-for-193) with 38 RBI. During his hitting streak, Lowell is batting a sizzling .500 (30-for-60) with 20 RBI in those 16 games.

“I think 100 RBI is nice. It’s a number you strive for when you have a chance to drive in runs,” said Lowell. “More satisfying to me is that with Manny out of the lineup they put me in his spot and I’ve been able to produce. In that spot you have to have good at-bats so they don’t just give David (Ortiz, who bats third) a free pass.”

And Lowell says that despite his big numbers this season, he’s not looking ahead to his free agency. In fact, he made it clear where he’d like to play next year.

“I enjoy playing here. I’ve mentioned that before,” said Lowell. “I realize this is a good fit for me. Wherever I hit in this lineup I have a chance to drive in runs. But that (free agency) isn’t weighing on my mind.”

A look ahead?

Sox fans may very well have seen the future last night in terms of the 2008 batting order.

Jacoby Ellsbury made his eighth big-league start and batted first, and rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia batted second.

They were especially impressive using their feet and their baserunning smarts in the third, helping the Red Sox manufacture two runs.

With Ellsbury on first, Pedroia dropped a single into right-center. Ellsbury zipped around second. Toronto right fielder Alex Rios apparently didn’t know of Ellsbury’s raw speed, so he tried to throw him out at third.

But his throw was high, a fact read by Pedroia, who was hustling around first. Pedroia, seeing the ball couldn’t be cut off, raced to second and made it there without a throw. The daring on the basepaths set up a pair of sacrifice flies in the inning and a 5-1 lead.

Wakefield passes test

Tim Wakefield, who missed his start last Friday because of a sore back, played catch yesterday and simulated his delivery on flat ground, testing his back.

He passed that test, so today he’ll be throwing a 20-25-pitch side session, and the knuckleballer fully expects to make his next scheduled start, in Baltimore on Thursday, the first of a four-game series.

“It felt like I expected it to,” said Wakefield, adding he felt “good enough” to pitch Thursday.

“I was a little embarrassed I had to miss a start,” said Wakefield, who, at 16-10, is tied for the league lead in wins.

No hurry for Gagne

Reliever Eric Gagne, who has been bothered by tendinitis in his right shoulder, played catch yesterday.

Gagne, who says the inflammation developed because he had been throwing side sessions most days for about a week and a half in an effort to smooth out mechanical flaws in his delivery, isn’t going to be rushed back.

“We’ve got a long way to go, around two more months of baseball. We have the luxury of being able to give me a couple of days (to get back on the mound),” said Gagne, adding in playoff baseball to the regular season, which ends Sept. 30.

Around the bases

Mike Timlin will give the baseball Hall of Fame his cleats from last Friday night’s game, his 1,000th big-league appearance. … Ramirez (oblique) worked out on an elliptical machine in the workout room yesterday, but Francona said he still doesn’t know how long his left fielder will be sidelined. … Matt Clement, who had shoulder surgery in the offseason, has progressed to the simulated-game stage of his rehabilitation. He will throw one tomorrow. … Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli was absent yesterday afternoon tending to what Francona called a “serious” family matter. Francona wasn’t sure if Mirabelli, just off the disabled list, would be available to catch Wakefield on Thursday.

skrasner@projo.com