NEW YORK — What’s a Red Sox-Yankee series without at least the hint of a dustup?

It came in the seventh inning last night when New York reliever Kyle Farnsworth threw near the head of Manny Ramirez. Coincidentally or not, Ramirez had homered twice earlier and had six hits in the two-game series.

Home plate umpire Larry Vanover, cognizant of the circumstances, immediately warned both benches.

Asked what he was thinking after Farnsworth pitch — errant or not — manager Terry Francona responded: “Ninety-eight (mph) at your lips is going to hurt.”

Asked if there had been intent, Francona demurred.

“You’ve got to ask [the Yankees],” he said. “I don’t sit there and contemplate what they’re going to do and why. Again, that’s how the game is played. We showed up to win and we did — that’s what I feel good about.”

In Wednesday’s game, Red Sox reliever David Aardsma had drilled Alex Rodriguez in the back, five innings after Rodriguez had connected for a monster shot off rookie Clay Buchholz.

Last night, New York starter Mike Mussina struck Jacoby Ellsbury twice — once to leadoff the game and again in the third inning.

“I don’t know if [Farnsworth] was throwing at [Ramirez] or not,” second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. “I just know he throws so hard, you don’t want to see that. He’s throwing 100 mph — that’s a career-ender if he hits him.”

Extra bases

Outfielder Coco Crisp has been hampered by a hamstring injury and was out of the lineup again last night. Francona said yesterday afternoon that Crisp could play if needed, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The manager said Crisp’s range-of-motion is fine. . . Infielder Alex Cora was placed on the 15-day DL Wednesday with a right-elbow sprain. He was scheduled to have an MRI but according to Francona the test could not be completed because Cora experienced a little anxiety in the tight quarters. He went back yesterday to try again, this time in an open MRI machine. . . Pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) continues to just be. He was sitting in the visitor’s clubhouse earlier yesterday, flipping a baseball. Francona said he still has no new information on when the veteran right-hander will begin to throw again. “I know he’s feeling good and he wants to get in there,” Francona said. . . . . Former Red Sox pitcher Bryan Corey has elected free agency instead of accepting his minor-league assignment. The right-hander was designated on April 11 after posting a 14.55 ERA in six appearances for Boston. Francona says there’s a chance he could resign with the Red Sox if another team doesn’t pick him up. Corey needed to clear waivers to get to this point. . . The David Ortiz jersey that was unearthed recently at the site of the new Yankee Stadium will be auctioned off with the money going to the Jimmy Fund. Francona was asked if he was going to place a bid and he responded with the line of the day. “No one in the Francona household will be bidding on it,” joked Francona. “I’ll go and get him to sign one of his own.”