There wasn’t any doubt in anyone’s mind that this was not good.

Jacoby Ellsbury had just slid into second base trying to break up a fourth-inning double play when Tampa Bay shortstop Reid Brignac came down on top of his right shoulder. Ellsbury was in immediate pain and when he finally rose to head for the Red Sox clubhouse, his arm was crooked in that familiar dislocation sort of pose.

There was no immediate word on Ellsbury’s condition after the 12-2. home-opening win over the Rays, but he had gone to Mass. General Hospital for testing.

“I said a little something when he was walking off the field,” said Dustin Pedroia, who hit the ground ball that resulted in the double play. “He didn’t look like he was very comfortable. And Ells is pretty tough. Hopefully he’s all right.”

“It didn’t didn’t look good,” said Cody Ross, who shifted from right to center field after the Ellsbury injury. “When I ran out there he was definitely in some pain. Just hope for the best. As soon as (Brignac) came down on him, Jacoby made that face like something’s not right. He was in some pain.”

Two years and two days after he ran into a brick wall known as teammate Adrian Beltre, scuttling his 2010 season completely, Ellsbury’s return from an MVP-caliber campaign may be seriously jeopardized.

“He finished second in the MVP (voting) last year,” Pedroia said. “He’s a superstar, so we definitely need him in our lineup.”

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine also knew Ellsbury was in trouble. “He was in a lot of pain,” Valentined said.

The manager’s attention quickly turned to another matter. The Sox are already preparing for Ellsbury’s placement on the disabled list, and Pawtucket outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin was scratched from the lineup in a Triple-A game on Friday night at Rochester.

“I’m prepared for someone to get here tomorrow,” Valentine said.

Crawford a visitor

The Red Sox welcomed a surprise guest to their clubhouse when Carl Crawford showed up, taking over Jason Varitek’s old locker.

Crawford, suffering from the after-effects of off-season wrist surgery and a subsequent elbow strain, joined the club for the Fenway opener so he could get some medical treatment before eventually returning to Fort Myers, Fla., to continue his rehab. “I think it was best to be up here with the doctors for the next few days,” said the left fielder.

Crawford called the elbow problem “just a little setback.” Valentine agreed, saying he thought Crawford might be able to see game action in Florida.

“We’re not putting a timetable on it,” said the manager. “He’s going to be able to DH ASAP. Those games down there, I even think he could run around in the outfield and hand it off if we’re worried about him throwing. The guys in charge of the rehab have to take control of that situation.”

Bailey still in cast

Andrew Bailey experienced a first, bittersweet Fenway opener, unable to do anything with a cast on his right thumb, which was operated upon to repair a torn ligament on April 4.

“Everything’s going as well as can be,” Bailey said. “It’s obviously frustrating and disappointing.’’

Bailey will have the stitches removed shortly, and the cast will come off in about a week. At that point he’ll be able to begin strengthening work. Throwing will have to wait.

“All I know, it’s basically the same rehab as if I was a position player,” Bailey said. “Obviously, the throwing aspect has to be involved after the regular rehab so there’s really no timetable for it, but we hope to start throwing right around the eight-week mark. That’s kind of been my goal and there’s really no timetable for anything else.”

Around the bases

With Kelly Shoppach (3-for-3, first career steal, three runs, hit-by-pitch) starting a second straight game, Valentine said Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who’s hitting .077, is doing fine.

“I think he’s called really good games. He’s been right with his pitchers the whole time,” the manager said. “His swings have been on, but off. He’s fouling off pitches, down the left field side most of the time. He’s hit three balls real hard that have been caught. He’s doing fine. This isn’t about Salty.” … Andrew Miller (hamstring) is taking a couple of days off before he resumes pitching at Pawtucket.

By DAVID DRIVER

WASHINGTON – The Boston Red Sox played a spring-training game in Florida on Monday against the Nationals and faced the same Washington club here Tuesday afternoon in the last exhibition contest of the year.

Boston was to fly Tuesday night to Detroit in preparation for Thursday’s opener against the Tigers, and it was easy to see for Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz that opening day could not come soon enough.

“We are all ready to go,” said Buchholz, the starting pitcher in Boston’s 8-7 comeback win. “It was good to get in a big-league park tonight and get under the lights a little bit.”

But discouraging news came late in the game when the team announced closer Andrew Bailey would have thumb surgery Wednesday in Cleveland. The surgery will be done by Dr. Thomas Graham of the Cleveland Clinic and Sox manager Bobby Valentine said he was told by the team trainer not to expect Bailey back until at least the All-Star break.

Bailey, who came to the Red Sox in a December trade, was 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves last year for the A’s. He has 75 saves in his first three seasons and was an All-Star closer for Oakland.

“We won’t use him until he is fully rehabbed,” Valentine said.

The first-year Red Sox manager did not name a new closer, but said Mark Melancon is among those that could close out games.

“I am ready,” Melancon said. “It is unfortunate Bailey is out. We have a good bullpen. We will be all right. We are going to figure it out and be all right.”

As a moving truck parked outside of the Red Sox clubhouse, players and coaches dressed quickly for the flight to Michigan.

Among those looking dapper in a light brown suit was Boston outfielder Ryan Sweeney.

“I think everyone this time of year is ready to get the season started,” Sweeney said.

The Red Sox will face reigning American League Cy Young and MVP award-winner Justin Verlander in the opener.

The on-field results Tuesday were encouraging as Buchholz retired the first 12 hitters while center fielder Jason Repko hit a go-ahead double in the top of the ninth inning before throwing out Washington shortstop Ian Desmond at the plate to end the game.

“He has only done what we have asked him,” Valentine said of Repko.

Daniel Nava hit a homer for Boston and Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia each had two hits, Pedroia driving in three runs.

With Bailey in Cleveland, it was an unlikely hometown pitcher who pitched the ninth and got the save for the Red Sox.

Chorye Spoone, who grew up near Annapolis, Md., got his first save of the spring and lowered his ERA to 2.08. Spoone, a former Orioles prospect, said he had several family members in attendance.

Buchholz allowed four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He gave up two home runs.

“My tempo was a little better,” Buchholz said. “I have tried to cut down on my walks and I felt I have done that.”

WASHINGTON (AP) Outfielder Jason Repko’s bid to make the opening-day roster for the Boston Red Sox finished with quite a flourish.

He drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning, then threw out a runner at the plate for the game’s last out, and the Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 8-7 Tuesday in the exhibition finale for both clubs.

”I worked hard and showed how I can help the team win, and it’s in their hands, and I try not to spend too much time thinking about it,” Repko said.

Asked whether he’d be heading to Detroit with the Red Sox, who open at the Tigers on Thursday, Repko replied: ”I think it’s up in the air. We’re minute to minute.”

He’s played in six major league seasons with the Dodgers and Twins, limited to 67 games with Minnesota in 2011 because of several injuries. He signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox last month in hopes of making the roster as someone able to play all three outfield positions. He hit .289 this spring and stole seven bases.

”He’s absolutely been in the mix from the beginning, and today he gets the big hit in the game and in a big stadium makes a perfect throw,” manager Bobby Valentine said. ”He’s only done everything we’ve asked him to do.”

Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia sure looked ready for the regular season in front of a crowd of 30,568 at Nationals Park, combining for four hits, four RBIs and four runs – helping Boston take a 6-0 lead – before taking the rest of the cloudless afternoon off.

”I left a couple balls up in the zone with runners on base and they took advantage of it thanks to Dustin Pedroia – he drove in most of the runs,” Nationals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson said.

Jackson gave up six runs and five hits in 4 2-3 innings, with one walk, one wild pitch and two strikeouts.

Washington scored seven consecutive runs to go ahead 7-6. After the Red Sox tied it in the eighth, they went up 8-7 in the ninth on Repko’s RBI double down the right field line off reliever Henry Rodriguez, who hadn’t allowed a run in his previous 11 innings this spring and took the loss.

Repko, playing in center, then threw out Ian Desmond to end the game, with catcher Daniel Butler applying the tag.

”I thought I was safe, but I’m healthy. That could have ended a lot worse. I was rounding third, I was just telling myself, ‘Hey, be careful. It’s not that important.’ Nothing against the catcher, but we’ve got nothing on the line out there,” Desmond said. ”I think he was No. 81. No offense to him, but he wanted to block that plate, and I wasn’t really going to fight him for it, you know what I mean? During the season, it might be a little different.”

Alfredo Aceves, a candidate to replace the injured Andrew Bailey as Boston’s closer, pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Bailey will have reconstructive ligament surgery on his right thumb on Wednesday and will be out at least several months.

Chorye Spoone threw the ninth for the save.

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz cruised through four perfect innings before allowing Adam LaRoche’s leadoff single in the fifth and, four batters later, Wilson Ramos’ three-run homer. Desmond started Washington’s sixth with a solo shot.

Buchholz went 5 2-3 innings and gave up four runs and four hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five.

”That’s the best I’ve felt all spring,” Buchholz said.

NOTES: Bailey and staff ace Josh Beckett both went to Cleveland on Tuesday to get second opinions on their thumb injuries. Beckett is expected to start as scheduled at Detroit on Saturday. … Boston plans to work out in Detroit on Wednesday, a day before opening the regular season with LHP Jon Lester on the mound against 2011 Cy Young Award winner and AL MVP Justin Verlander. … The Nationals will send RHP Stephen Strasburg to the mound for their opener Thursday at the Chicago Cubs, who will start RHP Ryan Dempster. Strasburg called his assignment as Washington’s opening-day starter a ”huge honor,” made more special because a year ago at this time he was still throwing on flat ground while rehabbing after reconstructive elbow surgery.

1:00 AM

By Kevin Thomas kthomas@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The top of the order seems to be purring along.

A day after Jon Lester dazzled with 10 strikeouts over seven shutout inning, Josh Beckett cruised along Tuesday, throwing a one-hit shutout over five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. He struck out five.

“I thought he threw a lot of really good pitches today,” Boston manager Bobby Valentine said.

The only complaint might be that Beckett needed 84 pitches to get through five innings. Not terrible, but he did walk three.

He began the second inning with two of those walks. After a sacrifice bunt, Beckett struck out Sean Rodriguez and Jose Lobaton to end the inning.

“You don’t want to put yourself in too many of those jams during the year,” Beckett said, “but it’s nice to pitch out of one to kind of refresh yourself that you can do it.”

Clay Buchholz, the other member of Boston’s big three starters, will throw in Pawtucket’s game today because the major league team is off. Aaron Cook will start for the Sea Dogs. Both games are at 1 p.m. at Fenway South’s minor league fields.

• • •

Boston beat the Rays 8-0 Tuesday, outhitting Tampa Bay 9-3. While the Red Sox pitched Beckett, the Rays used six relievers, opting to throw James Shields in a minor league game at their camp in Port Charlotte.

Cody Ross hit a three-run homer, clearing the left field wall in the second inning. It was his fourth home run this spring. Dustin Pedroia tripled in a run.

Three Red Sox relievers followed Beckett — Scott Atchison (one hit in 1 1/3 innings), Franklin Morales (one hit in one inning) and Mark Melancon (no hits in 1 1/3).

Melancon had entered with a 7.50 ERA

“He went from scattering the ball, missing location by too much ?to always hitting the glove. He’s almost where he needs to be,” Valentine said.

• • •

The lineup featured freshly-named starting shortstop Mike Aviles in the leadoff spot, and he could stay there.

This was not just a lineup thrown together for an exhibition game. Aviles batted first, followed by Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez.

“Trying to warm up to it, see if I can see it,” Valentine said of Aviles in the top spot.

Aviles crushed the ball in the first inning — right into the third-baseman’s glove — and then grounded out and flied out before leaving the game.

“He quickly strikes fear in a pitcher’s heart. How he led off the game today, gets a guy doubting his stuff in a hurry,” Valentine said.

But Aviles is not known for working counts and drawing walks (he has none this spring), attributes associated with a leadoff hitter.

“Mike doesn’t swing at the first pitch all the time,” Valentine said. “But I don’t know if Ellsbury is really a count-grinding guy.”

• • •

Lars Anderson was the other player assigned to Pawtucket on Tuesday, along with Jose Iglesias. Unlike Iglesias, there was never a doubt that Anderson would not make the major league team, as long as fellow first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is healthy.

Anderson, 24, batted .343 in 18 games, recording four doubles and a home run.

“He had a great camp,” Valentine said. “He added to our scouting report, with his ability to drive the ball to center and left center.

“On another team, he could have made the big leagues.”

Valentine wants Anderson to play the outfield in Pawtucket along with first base to increase his value.

• • •

Other cuts made Tuesday included three players not on the 40-man roster — pitchers Justin Germano and Doug Mathis, and outfielder Josh Kroeger. All three were minor league free agents and are expected to end up with Pawtucket.

• • •

Carl Crawford will not travel with the team when it heads for the season opener in Detroit next week. Valentine said Crawford can better rehab his surgically-repaired left wrist in Florida.

Crawford suffered a setback this spring when he tried to rush his rehab. The Red Sox won’t let him do that again.

“He thinks he can play now. The wrist is no problem at all,” Valentine said. (But) “he’s resigned to the fact that there is a program that the medical staff has him on, that he’s going to stay on religiously.”

• • •

John Lackey may suffer from the biggest foot-in-mouth issues among the Red Sox, now that Jonathan Papelbon is with the Phillies.

Lackey was quoted in Tuesday’s Boston Globe, concerning criticism of pitchers drinking beer: “This is retarded. It’s not like we were sitting up there doing it every night.”

Later Tuesday, Lackey issued a prepared statement through the Red Sox: “I apologize for my thoughtless choice of words that appeared in print ?I meant no harm, and am sorry to all I offended.”

Beckett goes 5 shutout innings, Red Sox beat Rays

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) Josh Beckett had no problem pitching against a division rival so close to the start of the regular season.

Beckett tossed five innings of one-hit ball and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-0 on Tuesday.

“Josh is working on his changeup a little, and I thought threw a lot of really good pitches today,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “I think he got his work in, put up a bunch of zeros, was competitive working against their hitters and I think that’s what he needed. He’ll have one more short (start). But he had pretty good stuff today.”

Beckett struck out five and walked three while lowering his spring ERA to 0.95 in five starts. He threw 84 pitches, 49 for strikes.

The All-Star right-hander thinks he is very close to being ready to start the season, but still has things to work on.

“As far as arm strength and stuff goes there’s still stuff you got to figure out during the season, too,” he said. “I think if you hit the ground running in April, you’re probably not very old. So spring training’s, in my opinion, a little bit long. But it’s to get everybody ready.”

Beckett is scheduled to start Boston’s home opener on April 13 against the Rays. This was the only time he faced them in spring training.

“I think you could face a team once during spring training,” he said. “But, yeah, I definitely think there comes a familiar approach, if you will, especially when it comes to how you got to a pitch or how you got a guy out. The more times he sees that the more times he’s going to have either video or a mental log of, `OK, this is how he got me out. This is what he’s going to do this time.’”

Tampa Bay was shut out for this third time this spring. The Rays managed just three hits; a double by Jose Lobaton, and singles from Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist.

Cody Ross hit a three-run homer off Joel Peralta in the second. He leads the Red Sox with four home runs this spring.

With Tampa Bay’s James Shields pitching in a minor league game, reliever Fernando Rodney started for the Rays and threw one hitless inning.

Rays right-hander Brandon Gomes, coming off back surgery, recorded two outs in the seventh and was charged with four runs. He walked four and allowed one hit.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said he felt Gomes, coming off back surgery, was close to being completely healthy but not quite there yet. Gomes agreed.

“I’m confident I’m still very close to where I need to be,” he said.

NOTES: The Red Sox made a series of roster moves. SS Jose Iglesias and 1B Lars Anderson were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. RHPs Justin Germano and Doug Mathis and OF Josh Kroeger were reassigned to minor league camp. … The Red Sox are off on Wednesday, but will have several pitchers in minor league games. RHPs Clay Buchholz and Andrew Bailey are scheduled to pitch in the Triple-A game, while RHPs Aaron Cook and Vicente Padilla are scheduled to pitch in the Double-A game. … Maddon said RHP Jeff Niemann would remain in the rotation, with RHP Wade Davis going to the bullpen. Maddon did not set the order, but the rotation also includes James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore. … Rays CF B.J. Upton, who has been hampered by an ailing back, expects to be in the lineup on opening day. … Rays OF Sam Fuld will get a second opinion on his ailing right wrist. … Tampa Bay SS Reid Brignac, who has been limited by an ailing foot, said if he gets through a minor league game on Tuesday, he will play in the major league game Wednesday.

Updated March 27, 2012

FORT MYERS, Fla. ——

Josh Beckett pitched one-hit ball for five innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-0 Tuesday.

Beckett struck out five and walked three. Relievers Scott Atchison, Franklin Morales and Mark Melancon combined to pitch the final four innings, allowing two hits and fanning four.

Cody Ross hit a three-run homer in the second. He leads the Red Sox with four home runs this spring.

With Tampa Bay’s James Shields pitching in a minor league game, reliever Fernando Rodney started for the Rays and threw one hitless inning. Joel Peralta gave up Ross’ home run in the next inning.

Iglesias Sent Down: A key roster decision by the Boston Red Sox was made Tuesday when the team decided that Mike Aviles will be the Opening Day starting shortstop and sent hot prospect Jose Iglesias down to Triple-A Pawtucket, MLB.com reported.

The Red Sox open the season on April 5 at Detroit.

“I feel good. Iggy’s a great ballplayer and he’s going to be a great ballplayer, but it just so happens they sent him down to work on some things,” Aviles said. “I wish him the best. I know he’s going to be back at some point — you know how that is. I came into camp, worked hard and I’m just happy the way things are.”

Aviles has not played shortstop on a regular basis since 2008, but he has hit .333 in 45 spring at-bats going into Tuesday.

Iglesias was given the news in a meeting with manager Bobby Valentine and general manager Ben Cherington.

“It was (emotional) because we have tough decisions going on, but at the end of the day I can’t control that,” Iglesias said. “I’ll get better. That’s what I can control and that’s what I will do.”

Iglesias, 22, is highly regarded for his defense but has just 618 minor league at-bats with a .261 average, one home run and 51 RBI.

Valentine said he is very comfortable with Aviles as the everyday shortstop and that Iglesias needs more seasoning.

“At this time, we decided it was best for (Iglesias) and this organization that he gets some real regular at-bats and works a little more on the consistency of his swing and play,” Valentine said.

Iglesias hit just .200 in 25 at-bats this spring, but according to ESPN.com, Cherington told him it is a matter of when — not if — he gets called back up.

In the spirit of sending out vital press releases for events such as the departure of the equipment truck to spring training, the Red Sox Monday sent out one regarding the status of Jon Lester as the opening day starter on April 5 in Detroit. Such an announcement was surely seen as one that all of New England, perhaps much of the free world, was clamoring to read. Tomorrow, presumably, the Sox will release information on the status of the No. 9 batter.

Undoubtedly, the opening day starter is regarded as an honor among many major leaguers, but Josh Beckett didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it, just as he didn’t last season. Manager Bobby Valentine, in Fort Myers, Fla., Monday, expressed relief that Beckett felt that way, and did admit that the decision had weighed on him in recent days.

For Lester, it’s a relief, because as he said Monday, he can get his first start out of his mind and he can get right into the season. It’s an honor because he becomes the first left-hander since Mel Parnell (three years, 1952-54) to make back-to-back opening-day starts.

It’s just that there are 162 games in a season and somebody’s got to kick it off. Truthfully, the Sox want their best on the mound to oppose reigning American League MVP/Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, but was it such a big deal a year ago when Lester was also accorded the honor – and promptly gave up six hits and five runs in 51/3 innings at Texas? This isn’t like Jacoby Ellsbury leading off so he can get extra at-bats over the course of a nine-inning game. A pitcher who starts opening day isn’t likely to accumulate many more starts over the course of the season than the fifth starter, given injuries, rest, etc.

So that brings us to the real concern for Valentine and the Sox: Who’s going to start in succeeding days? Beckett will likely follow, which also puts him in line to pitch the Red Sox’ home opener April 13 against the Rays. That might be an even bigger honor than starting on the road. Clay Buchholz will undoubtedly follow as the third starter.

After that is where the Red Sox rotation gets a little iffy. It’s pretty obvious at this time that Daniel Bard is being groomed as the fourth starter, and the former set-up man has looked mostly good thus far in spring training. If you look at general spring training stats, you might be tempted to dismiss pitchers such as Bard being able to get the starting job done. Bard had a tough go of starting his first season in professional ball and was immediately converted to a reliever, where he met with great success. His spring stats, though, indicate an 8.22 ERA, yet that was because, of his three appearances (two starts), he gave up seven runs in his third outing.

As in many spring training situations, though, there were extenuating circumstances. Often, pitchers will work on one or two particular pitches in a spring training game rather than use their entire repertoire. In Bard’s case, he was looking at a rain-delayed game against St. Louis last Thursday and he didn’t start.

The real problem that Valentine faces is finding a fifth starter … or perhaps a sixth. The most competent starters could be Alfredo Aceves, who had also pitched in three games, starting one (four innings, one run). But Aceves was so valuable last season in a variety of jobs that Valentine seems to be leaning toward keeping him in that utility pitching role.

The fifth starters could come down to a couple of options. Felix Doubront, the hard-throwing, young left-hander, might have the inside track off his 3.00 spring training showing thus far. He started against the Twins Monday, but he gave up two runs on eight hits, needing 79 pitches to escape jams in 42/3 innings. Former Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla has been fascinating, as well, but he hadn’t started in four spring appearances.

The Sox also have former Rockies starter Aaron Cook in the wings. Cook has been set back and will start the season in Triple-A Pawtucket, but could be seen as an option down the road. An even greater option could be Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is showing great signs of progress as he rehabs from last season’s Tommy John surgery. A healthy Matsuzaka would certainly shore up the starting unit somewhere around June.

So, it’s nice that Lester is starting opening day, and that everyone’s happy with the honor, but until the Sox can establish a solid, complete rotation, opening day is just another blip on the season-long radar screen.

Mike Fine may be reached at mikefine@ledger.com.

FORT MYERS, Fla, – When he took over the Boston Red Sox manager’s job, Bobby Valentine inherited an elite pitcher whose work ethic had always been unquestioned – until lately.

Judging from Valentine’s comments Saturday, the Josh Beckett he has seen resembles the bulldog of the past.

“Josh is as professional about going about his job as any player I’ve been around,” Valentine said after Beckett had gone five innings to get the win in Boston’s 7-4 win over Baltimore.

“He has a lot of time away from his job, and his mind goes away from baseball. I’m not telling you (media) anything you don’t already know. But when he’s dealing with baseball, he’s a pro’s pro.”

Beckett had been known as a fierce worker and competitor, first with Florida and then with the Red Sox. The controversy surrounding clubhouse behavior, which Beckett and his teammates consider wildly overblown, led to questions about whether the intensity is still there.

Valentine treats that as a non-issue. His comments about the slow pace of Beckett’s pitching, made when Valentine was an ESPN analyst – and considered to have the potential to cause a rift between him and Beckett – also seem like long-ago news.

In Boston’s Grapefruit League game Saturday, Beckett delivered the club’s longest start to date.

He allowed one run and two hits in five innings with two strikeouts. His ERA this spring is 1.29.

After throwing 59 pitches, Beckett said he would like to get to 100 by the end of spring training, but feels he’s right on schedule. His preference is to get 22 to 25 innings of spring work under his belt, and he’s on track there, too.

Kelly Shoppach caught Beckett for the first time. After working almost exclusively with now-retired Jason Varitek, Beckett said he’ll throw to “whoever they put back there.”

“They make out the lineup. I’m sure they’re trying to see different guys,” Beckett said.

Valentine does not prefer assigning personal catchers to pitchers, and he does not seem to see the need here.

“Josh will shake off anybody. He did that with Varitek, but you can shake off a catcher and still be with the guy,” Valentine said.

Like all Red Sox pitchers, Beckett is also working on a better pickoff move. Before the game, Valentine said he felt that aspect had been downplayed by the Red Sox coaching staff in the past.

“Today, he was amazing. He threw over three times, with three different moves, and quick-pitched the hitter – that’s having a plan,” Valentine said.

“(Holding runners) is always something I’ve taken pride in, but getting the guy at the plate is the first priority. Nothing will change that,” Beckett said.

“But a lot of things go into stolen bases, and pitching is part of that. (Valentine) definitely wants to change our time (to first base).”

Baltimore’s starting shortstop Saturday was 19-year-old Manny Machado, who said he was an 11-year-old Marlins fans when Beckett led Florida to the 2003 World Series title.

“That just means I’m getting old,” Beckett said.

“He couldn’t have been a Beckett fan, because he took some pretty good swings today against me.”

The rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees has gotten quiet in the last few years.

There may have been just a little bit too much respect overall between the two teams, and the Red Sox side has seemed a little too respectful. The hatred between the two team’s fan bases has remained intact, but the animosity between the two teams seems almost non-existent.

That’s not a good thing. Rancor between the Red Sox and the Yankees helps give baseball a lot of its character. While the Red Sox have some weaknesses going into the 2012 season – the starting pitching, the bullpen and shortstop – they are not going to concede anything to the Yankees this time around and they will play with more of an edge.

Bobby Valentine will demand it. Valentine knows that it is his job not to like the Yankees and he has plenty of experience at that vocation. Valentine was manager of the New York Mets while the Yankees won four World Championships in five years. His Mets were beaten in one of those World Series confrontations (2000) with the Yankees.

It seemed like former Red Sox manager Terry Francona went out of his way to take the hate out of the battle between New York and Boston. In the last few years, it didn’t seem like he had the personal animus for the Yankees that Red Sox fans have in their blood. That point was driven home recently when Francona, in his capacity as ESPN color analyst on its baseball broadcasts, ventured into the Yankees lockerroom.

There was nothing uncomfortable about this process for Francona. In fact, the Yankees welcomed him. He hugged Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter. They hugged him back. He hugged other players like Mark Teixeira and Bill Hall and Yankee coach Tony Pena as well. When he embraced Rivera, he told him that he hoped he did really well, something that he could not say when he was manager of the Red Sox.

He seemed a bit too chummy with his former rivals. No doubt that Francona took a mature and reasoned attitude in the dugout with him when battling the Yankees, but in doing so he may have taken much of the emotion out of it. That may have kept incidents between the two teams to a minimum, but it didn’t necessarily help his team.

Valentine will not be a day at the beach for the Red Sox players. He has a pushy, edgy personality and he is very opinionated. If you get on the wrong side of Valentine, it will be next to impossible to turn him back around. But he will not take the Yankees for granted. He will carry a gallon of gasoline with him and he won’t hesitate to pour it on the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry and then light the match.

Welcome back to the hatred.

Reference:

New York Post – Former Red Sox manager gets hugs from Yankees

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/francona_gets_hugs_from_yankees_G9iePklLdjAGfcPpRm1AXK?utm_campaign=OutbrainA&utm_source=OutbrainArticlepages&obref=obinsource