Kevin Youkilis

BOSTON - Boston should be burning. The Patriots cannot win the Big One, the Bruins got dumped in the first round and the Celtics are a series from being dismantled. None of which matters, because the Red Sox stink. Or stunk. This weekend, the Sox visit Philadelphia, lately Boston's mirror city, scratching to reach .500, desperate to keep sight of the rest of the American League East, crippled by injury. Sure looks like Tito and the Genius knew what they were doing.

The Boston Red Sox placed second baseman Pokey Reese on the 15-day disabled list yesterday and acquired infielder Ricky Gutierrez from the Chicago Cubs in time for last night's home game against Baltimore. The Red Sox also recalled third baseman Kevin Youkilis and lefthander Mark Malaska from triple-A Pawtucket and sent down righthander Joe Nelson, the team said. Reese, 31, has a strained right rib cage. Gutierrez, 34, joined the Red Sox for a player to be named. Texas Rangers general manager John Hart will remain in his job for 2005, a year past his current contract, the team said.

Paul Hagen: Red Sox in seven: There are plenty of reasons to believe the Rockies can win, but Boston gets the slightest of nods here. The guess is that it will take Colorado a while to shake off its long layoff, and the overall inexperience of its roster could also be a factor. While anything can happen in a short series, there is no doubt that the American League has the better teams. And as hot as the Rockies were at the end of the season, the Red Sox are also on a roll, after rallying to beat the Indians.

All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon took a 1-year deal to avoid arbitration. He could be in the same position next year. The Boston Red Sox righthander agreed yesterday to a contract worth $6.25 million, but he didn't get to follow teammates Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis in agreeing to a long-term deal. "We are certainly open to exploring those ideas going forward," assistant general manager Jed Hoyer said. The Red Sox also agreed to a 1-year, $1.35 million deal with lefty Javier Lopez to avoid arbitration.

What's up with Big Papi? That might be the most frequently asked question in New England these days as Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz battles through a hellacious slump. "It's been hard on him," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "He's handling it better. He knows we need him. We've gotten a lot of pats on the back the last six years because of him, so the best thing I can do is be patient with him. " Ortiz, who led the American League with 54 homers in 2006 and averages 35 over a 162-game season, didn't hit his first this season until May 20. He entered last night hitting .196 with just three homers and 24 RBIs in 53 games.

Major League Baseball created the Hank Aaron Award in 1999 on the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record. A decade later, Aaron, a man who has done it all and seen it all, is still awed to have an award in his name, honoring the most outstanding offensive player in each league. It was an award Aaron would have won more than a few times if it had been around when he played. "To have anything named for you is quite an honor," Aaron said last night before Game 4 of the World Series at Citizens Bank Park.

Alex Rodriguez has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quadriceps, leaving the New York Yankees without two of their most important players. Rodriguez joins injured catcher Jorge Posada on the DL. The Yankees were waiting for additional opinions on Posada's ailing throwing shoulder before determining whether he needs surgery. A three-time AL MVP, Rodriguez was sent for an MRI exam yesterday that revealed a Grade 2 strain. He was put on the DL for the first time since July 2000 with Seattle.

Tim Wakefield celebrated his 38th birthday getting a familiar result against Tampa Bay. Tim Wakefield pitched seven solid innings and David McCarty hit a three-run homer to lead the visiting Boston Red Sox over the Devil Rays, 6-3, last night. Wakefield (7-6) gave up three runs, four hits, four walks and struck out three to improve to 10-1 against Tampa Bay. Kevin Youkilis had a two-run double during a three-run fifth as the Red Sox rebounded from two straight losses to American League Central-leading Minnesota.

If Randy Johnson is hurt, he's not telling. Johnson failed to hold a four-run lead and was chased in the fourth inning of the Toronto Blue Jays' 10-5 victory over the visiting New York Yankees last night. Troy Glaus homered twice and Alex Rios tied a career high with four RBI for the Blue Jays. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi hit back-to-back homers in the first for New York - helping Johnson (2-2) to a 4-0 lead - but the Big Unit allowed seven runs and nine hits in only 3 1/3 innings.

NEW YORK - Mark Loretta collected four hits in five at-bats, the last of which accounted for the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning, as the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees, 5-3, last night. Kevin Youkilis tacked on an RBI single in the ninth off Mariano Rivera. Jonathan Papelbon pitched 1 1/3 innings for his 13th save in 13 chances. The Red Sox took two of three in the series and opened a one-game AL East lead. Boston has won three of four against New York this year.

BOSTON - Boston should be burning. The Patriots cannot win the Big One, the Bruins got dumped in the first round and the Celtics are a series from being dismantled. None of which matters, because the Red Sox stink. Or stunk. This weekend, the Sox visit Philadelphia, lately Boston's mirror city, scratching to reach .500, desperate to keep sight of the rest of the American League East, crippled by injury. Sure looks like Tito and the Genius knew what they were doing.

KEVIN YOUKILIS hit a grand slam, Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered twice and the visiting Boston Red Sox roughed up Philip Humber in a 10-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Youkilis, mired in an early-season slump, hit his second career slam into the rightfield bullpen during a five-run third inning against Humber, who was making his first start since pitching a perfect game in a 4-0 victory at Seattle on Saturday. There was no such suspense Thursday. Humber walked leadoff batter Mike Aviles in the first, snapping his streak of 29 straight batters retired.

WADE DAVIS went to a new pitch and finally had success against the Boston Red Sox. Davis threw a six-hitter, John Jaso hit a three-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays moved within 5 1/2 games of AL wild-card-leading Boston with a 7-2 victory over the Red Sox last night, in St. Petersburg, Fla. "It's actually the first time I've really started throwing a cutter," Davis said. "I've always thrown a slider and we just flattened it out a little bit to stay in the strike zone more.

JON LESTER struck out 11 in seven innings to win his fourth straight decision, Marco Scutaro and David Ortiz each matched a career high with four hits and the visiting Boston Red Sox bashed the Toronto Blue Jays, 14-0, last night. That was the good news. The bad news? Josh Beckett will miss his next start due to a sprained right ankle, according to a report. ESPNBoston.com, citing a team source, reported that the righthander - who left in the fourth inning of Monday's series opener after experiencing pain in his ankle - is not expected to miss more than a start or two. He flew to Boston yesterday to be examined by a specialist.

So much for being tired. Dustin Pedroia doubled in two runs to spark an eight-run eighth inning, and the Boston Red Sox got home runs from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Josh Reddick in a 15-10 rout of the host Baltimore Orioles last night. Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Darnell McDonald had three RBI apiece for the Red Sox, who have won 13 of 15. The run includes 1-0, 16-inning affair against Tampa Bay that began on Sunday night and ended about 2 a.m. yesterday in which Boston mustered only five hits.

QUICK HITTERS Records: Boston 45-32. Phillies 49-30 Position: Boston: Half-game back of Yankees. Phillies: Five games up on Atlanta Most valuable position player: Boston: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B Phillies: Ryan Howard, 1B Most valuable pitcher: Boston: Josh Beckett. Phillies: Cole Hamels Most disappointing position player: Boston: J.D. Drew. Phillies: Raul Ibanez Most disappointing pitcher: Boston: John Lackey. Phillies: Danys Baez Most significant injury: Boston: Carl Crawford, LF. Phillies: Roy Oswalt, SP Biggest headache this series: Boston: Whether to start David Ortiz.

BOSTON - John Lackey retired 15 straight batters after a shaky start, and Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz had three hits each as the Boston Red Sox won for the 12th time in 13 games with a 10-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. Tied at 4 in the fifth inning, the Red Sox went ahead to stay on Gonzalez's leadoff homer. They added two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh. Boston increased its AL East lead to 21/2 games over the New York Yankees, who lost, 3-1, to the Chicago Cubs.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Josh Beckett was a dribbler from being perfect. The Boston righthander pitched the first one-hitter of his career Wednesday night, limiting the Tampa Bay Rays to Reid Brignac's third-inning infield single in a 3-0 Red Sox victory. "I felt good. They were hitting balls at guys, and that's nice," Beckett said after his fifth career shutout and first complete game since 2009. "When you miss your spot and they still hit it at somebody, it's just one of those nights.

The Boston Red Sox have no idea how long Tim Wakefield will pitch. He might just go on forever. "As long as Wake wants to keep working the way he does, I don't see any reason for this to stop," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "He'll be done when he wants to be done, I guess. " The 44-year-old held the Detroit Tigers to two runs on five hits in seven innings yesterday, as the Red Sox picked up their 12th win in 14 games, winning, 6-3. "I'm just doing what I've always done - trying to help my team win games," said Wakefield, who picked up his 195th career win. He's been with the Red Sox since 1995, picking up a pair of World Series rings.

BOSTON - Adrian Gonzalez had four of Boston's 19 hits, adding four RBIs on Friday night, as the Red Sox welcomed the Chicago Cubs back to Fenway Park for the first time since the 1918 World Series by beating the National League side, 15-5. Kevin Youkilis had two doubles and a two-run homer, and Jacoby Ellsbury also had three hits for Boston, which won its seventh consecutive game. The Red Sox are 22-10 since losing 10 of their first 12 games; they have passed the New York Yankees for the first time this season, and now trail the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays by just a half-game.