Drew exits with tightness in right quadriceps

RED SOX NOTEBOOK

ATLANTA - J.D. Drew was on his way to a marvelous game, hitting ahome run and double in his first two at-bats last night, with seveninnings still to be played.

But in the bottom of the second, Drew was replaced in right fieldby Wily Mo Pena. An explanation was furnished during the game by RedSox spokesman John Blake: Drew said he had tightness in his rightquadriceps.

The Sox already were playing a second straight game without thirdbaseman Mike Lowell, manager Terry Francona saying he preferred togive Lowell another night off to rest his sprained left thumb. "Ithink there are times it affects his swing - I'd like to give him achance to be OK," Francona said of Lowell, who was 1 for 16 in hislast four games and 9 for 54 in his last 15. That has dropped hisaverage from .337 to .299, the lowest it has been since May 8.

Lowell is expected back in the lineup tomorrow night in San Diego.

The leadoff home run was the second of Drew's career. The firstcame nearly eight years ago, July 24, 1999, in Colorado, when he wasplaying for the Cardinals. It was also his fourth home run in thelast 15 games.

Shortstop Julio Lugo was back in the starting lineup, even thoughhis replacement Tuesday night, Alex Cora, tripled and hit a sacrificefly.

"If I said I didn't think about it [playing Cora], I'd probably belying," Francona said.

"Unlike a football game-like mentality, the best way for us to winis Lugo needs to get hot. We sat him yesterday for reasons we said [0for 10 against Braves starter Tim Hudson]. I thought I would bemaking a mistake. I think it's so easy to look at the little picture.It's harder to look at the big picture. But I think I have aresponsibility to do that."

Glad to be here

He is in his second season away from Boston and is playing an All-Star-caliber shortstop for the Braves, but Edgar Renteria stillbristles at the booing he received at Fenway Park while playing forthe Sox.

"It's good to show everybody they were wrong," Renteria told DavidO'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"You always do good, and then have one bad year - everybody canhave one bad year," Renteria added. "There are a lot of guys who havea lot of bad years there, and they don't say anything. If they likeyou, they like you. If they don't, they don't."

The Sox never gave Renteria a chance to find out whether he couldwin back the crowd with a better second season in Boston, dealing himto the Braves in a trade that netted them top prospect Andy Marte,whom they used in the Coco Crisp deal with Cleveland. Renteria hadthree hits against the Sox Monday night and came into last night'sgame batting .362 (25 for 69) against the Sox, including .444 (20 for45) in his last 11 games.

"I was so glad they traded me here," Renteria said.

This walk has legs

Much was made in the Japanese media this week about DaisukeMatsuzaka issuing an intentional walk to Barry Bonds in the firstinning last Saturday. According to reports, Matsuzaka had neverintentionally walked anyone in the first inning, going back to juniorhigh. His last intentional walk of any kind was in August 2003, whenhe walked Kenji Johjima, now with the Mariners, when Matsuzaka waswith Seibu and Johjima with Daiei. The Internet message boards, whichare abundant in Japan, contained many shots at Matsuzaka, calling hima coward, in so many words. "After the fourth ball," he said, "Imoved on." ... Bruce Bosley, who works in the University of Vermontathletic communications department, and his friend, John Bennett, wholike Bosley belongs to SABR (Society for American Baseball Research),did some research after Bonds and Manny Ramirez both homered lastSunday. The home run was the 748th of Bonds's career and No. 480 forRamirez, who last night hit No. 481. They could find only one othergame in which two players hit home runs with a higher combined numberof total career homers. That was May 8, 1971 (Atlanta 5, SanFrancisco 2 at Candlestick Park): 1,230 - Willie Mays (No. 626) andHank Aaron (No. 604). Bonds and Ramirez had 1,228. The Giants havethree games with the Yankees (Alex Rodriguez, 491) this weekend andseven with Cincinnati (Ken Griffey Jr., 582) later this season.