NEW YORK — This Red Sox-Yankee series may have lost some of its luster thanks to the gap between the teams in the standings, but tonight’s pitching matchup in the middle game of the series still holds plenty of interest.

Sixteen-game winner Josh Beckett, one of the front-runners for the American League Cy Young Award, gets the chance to pitch against his idol, Roger Clemens, who has won six A.L. Cy Young Awards.

Like Clemens, Beckett grew up in Texas and is a prototypical power pitcher. Beckett collected Clemens’ baseball cards and patterned himself, in part, after Clemens. The two found themselves on opposite sides of the 2003 World Series — Beckett with the Florida Marlins, Clemens in his first stay with the Yankees — but they never pitched against each other.

Beckett was named the World Series MVP, winning the clinching Game Six on the Yankee Stadium mound.

Tonight represents Clemens’ first appearance against the Red Sox since the fabled Game Seven of the 2003 ALCS. Clemens was hit for four runs — three earned — in just three innings. A month earlier, on Sept. 6, he faced the Sox in the regular season and was also hammered, allowing seven runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Clemens, of course, holds the Red Sox franchise record for career wins, tied with Cy Young himself. This year, he’s 5-5 with a 4.34 ERA.

Manny makes history

Manny Ramirez’s solo homer in the second was marked with historical significance.

For one thing, it was Ramirez’s 20th homer of the season, marking the 13th straight season that Ramirez has hit at least that many. Only 12 players have achieved that, and Chipper Jones is the only other active player to have done so.

For another, it moved Ramirez into a tie for fourth place in all-time homers against the Yankees. Jimmie Foxx is first with 70, followed by Ted Williams (62), Hank Greenberg (53) and tied with Carl Yastrzemski at 52.

Finally, the homer gave Ramirez 152 career RBI against the Yankees, tying him for the fourth most since 1957. Yastrzemski leads with 163, followed by Al Kaline (157), Brooks Robinson (154) and Ramirez and Harmon Killebrew (152).

Ramirez later came out of the game in the middle of the seventh inning as a precautionary measure due to muscle spasms in his lower back. Ramirez had been given Sunday off in Chicago when his back flared up on him.

“We’ll see,” said manager Terry Francona after last night’s 5-3 loss. “We’ll see how he shows up (today). It got real tight in a hurry, so rather than lose him for an extended period of time, we did the right thing.”

Dr. Stuart Hershon, the Yankees’ team physician, was seen leaving the trainer’s room of the Red Sox clubhouse after the game and may have examined Ramirez.

Buchholz goes Saturday

Though no official announcement will be made for a few days, Clay Buchholz will start Saturday against Baltimore. For now, the Red Sox say the starter for the game has yet to be announced.

Buchholz will be making his second major-league start. He beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Aug. 17, allowing three earned runs in six innings.

Buchholz was charged with the loss in a 10-5 loss at Rochester Monday night.

The only other option for the Sox Saturday would be Julian Tavarez, who has allowed just four hits and four runs in his last two spot starts, covering 12 innings. But the Sox would prefer to use Tavarez out of the bullpen this week and get another look at Buchholz, who was going to be promoted back to Boston once rosters expand.

Around the bases

Doug Mirabelli (strained calf muscle) was here and took batting practice with the club. He’s eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday and will do so, according to Francona. … J.D. Drew was in the lineup, despite the presence of lefty Andy Pettitte on the mound for the Yankees. Drew, who has been sitting against most lefties in favor of switch-hitting Bobby Kielty, came into last night hitting .429 (6-for-14) with two solo homers. … Mike Lowell extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a leadoff single in the fourth. In those 10 games, Lowell, who was named co-A.L. Player of the Week on Monday, is hitting a scorching .500 (18-for-36). He’s hit safely in 23 of the 25 games he’s played in August. … Yankee bullpen phenom Joba Chamberlain, who pitched a scoreless eighth and is unscored upon in his first eight big-league appearances. … Seen in the stands: actress Cameron Diaz.

smcadam@projo.com