After undergoing a CT scan this morning at Mass General, Dustin Pedroia went ahead with surgery to insert a screw into the fractured navicular bone in his left foot. Thus, Pedroia won’t play again this season, but the surgery is expected to assure more complete healing in time for Pedroia to be ready for spring training.

“I think putting a screw in is probably the best idea,” Pedroia said yesterday in Baltimore, a clear indication he anticipated having surgery today. “I don’t want to get to January and go through my workouts and then don’t feel good and I miss some of next year. None of us want that to happen. So, I think putting the screw in is probably the best idea.”

Within the next few hours, the Red Sox will provide further details on the procedure, which was expected to be performed by team physician Dr. Thomas Gill and foot specialist Dr. George Theodore.

Also, in case you were wondering, the pitching matchups for tomorrow’s day-night doubleheader are set. Clay Buchholz (15-5, 2.21 ERA) will oppose White Sox lefty John Danks (12-9, 3.65 ERA) in the 1:05 p.m. game, while John Lackey (12-8, 4.60 ERA) will face right-hander Gavin Floyd (9-11, 3.86 ERA) in the 7:10 p.m. nightcap.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

In anticipation of Hurricane Earl, the Red Sox have postponed tonight’s game against the White Sox in Fenway Park. The game will be played as part of a split-admission, day-night doubleheader tomorrow.

According to the team, the decision was made in consultation with Major League Baseball and in consideration of Gov. Deval Patrick’s state of emergency declaration.

“The Red Sox and Major League Baseball feel it is better to err on the side of public safety even if the current weather forecast dramatically changes its course,” the team said in a press release.

So, what does this mean for you, the ticket-holder?

Tickets for tonight’s game will be good for admission to tomorrow’s 1:05 p.m. game. Tickets for tomorrow’s 7:10 p.m. game are still good.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — A few notes from last night’s closer-than-it-should’ve-been 6-4 victory over the Orioles:

–Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first start since Aug. 21 and said he didn’t feel any of the soreness in his back that caused him to skip one turn in the rotation. In fact, for five innings, he held the Orioles to only two hits. But Matsuzaka said he lost his rhythm in the sixth inning when he gave up four runs and put the tying run on second base before being lifted for reliever Scott Atchison. “I think I did a good job through the first five innings holding the opposing hitters (in check),” Matsuzaka said through translator Masa Hoshino. “But it was the first time since I aggravated my back that I threw at full strength, and I think there was a little bit of adjustment there that I needed to get over. In the sixth inning, I think I rushed a little bit through that inning.”

–With Matsuzaka getting KO’d in the sixth inning, the Red Sox needed to squash the Orioles’ rally with the tying run on second base. Atchison delivered. He struck out Nolan Reimold for the final out of the sixth, then tossed a scoreless seventh and got the first two outs of the eighth. Of his six outs, three came via strikeout. “Atch, pitching the way he did, really clutched up for us,” said manager Terry Francona, whose growing faith in Atchison was another reason Manny Delcarmen became expendable. Said Atchison, “You want to have their trust enough that they can put you in those situations. Those are situations you want to pitch in. You want to pitch when the game’s on the line and show them you can do it. Tonight was fun. I was able to be successful and help the team win.”

–Adrian Beltre has been nothing short of the Red Sox’ MVP, and he seems destined for a strong finish. Beltre (AP photo), who again will be a free agent this winter, belted his 25th homer, a leadoff shot in the second inning. He leads AL third basemen in homers and all third basemen with 92 RBI. Since 1939, he’s only the second Red Sox third baseman to hit at least 25 homers in a season, joining Butch Hobson (30 in 1977, 28 in 1979). “He’s having a huge year himself,” catcher Victor Martinez said. “At the same time, he’s helping this team, big-time. He’s pretty much been carrying us this whole year.”

–Biggest hit of the game: David Ortiz’ two-out, two-run single in the second inning, which turned a 3-0 lead into a 5-0 gulf. “David’s two-out hit was huge,” Francona said. “We had the bases loaded and two outs. It had a chance to stay there. David takes that nice swing and has that hit to left field, which was really big for us.”

–The Orioles are 7-8 against the Red Sox, but they’re 5-31 against the rest of the AL East, including 0-12 against the Blue Jays and 2-10 against the Yankees.

–Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek will have CT scans today to determine the rate of healing of their respective foot fractures. And while the test figures to be a precursor to season-ending surgery for Pedroia, Varitek may be cleared for a two-game minor-league rehab assignment this weekend. Varitek has been sidelined since July 1 with a right foot fracture. Stay tuned for details on both Pedroia and Varitek.

–When the White Sox claimed Manny Ramirez off waivers Monday, it meant one thing: An encore performance for Manny in Fenway Park. Assuming Hurricane Earl doesn’t overpower him, Hurricane Manny will blow through Fenway tonight. As a member of the Dodgers, Ramirez came to town for three days in June. He didn’t speak to reporters and barely acknowledged the crowd as the Dodgers were swept. But Ramirez didn’t go quietly. He finished 5-for-12 (.417) with a solo home run in the series. With another big series this weekend, he could help the White Sox gain ground on the Twins in the AL Central race.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — At this moment, Dustin Pedroia doesn’t have an appointment to have surgery on his left foot.

That doesn’t mean he won’t spend tomorrow afternoon on an operating table.

Pedroia will fly home with the Red Sox after tonight’s game here and, as scheduled, will have a CT scan tomorrow morning at Massachusetts General Hospital. If the scan doesn’t show significant healing, Pedroia said he will have season-ending surgery to insert a screw into the fractured navicular bone that has sidelined him for all but two games since June 25.

“I think (surgery) would make it heal more,” Pedroia said. “They said there’s like a 50-percent chance I could feel better and still, just like what happened last (month), I could play two games and not be able to walk the next day. Putting the screw in would help it heal. So, there’s a good chance that I’ll have the surgery at some point.”

And it could happen as early as tomorrow.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — Carlos Delgado won’t play for the Red Sox this season.

Delgado, who signed a minor-league contract last month with the hope of being a left-handed-hitting complement to fill-in first baseman Mike Lowell, has a small tear in his left hip, according to his agent David Sloane. Delgado had been with Triple-A Pawtucket, but he left the team yesterday to be examined by Dr. Marc Phillipon in Vail, Colo. He’s expected to return to Pawtucket today to begin reviewing treatment options. Surgery isn’t being ruled out.

“He’s extremely disappointed,” Sloane told the Herald. “It would be tough for a human being to not be disappointed. He wouldn’t be human if he wasn’t very upset about it.”

Delgado, 38, began feeling discomfort in his left hip a few weeks ago. Within the past year, he has had two surgical procedures on his right hip, which hasn’t given him any problems recently. An MRI exam was negative, and Delgado received a cortisone injection to relieve the pain. When the condition persisted, he went to see Phillipon, who performed his previous hip surgeries.

“He felt fine when he signed,” Sloane said. “He was playing. He was headed in right direction. All of a sudden, he felt pain there. Everything at this point is up in the air. He’s going to need some time to think about the next step.”

Delgado has 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI in 17 major-league seasons. He hasn’t played in the majors since May 2009 with the New York Mets. He worked out for the Red Sox on Aug. 6 at Yankee Stadium and signed a contract the following day. In five games with Pawtucket, he batted .231 (3-for-13) with two RBI.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — Can’t think of a reason why the Red Sox, given their fast-fading playoff hopes, shouldn’t just wave the white flag and look ahead to next year?

Here are three: Marco Scutaro, Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre.

For most of the season, and particularly over the past few weeks, the three veterans have gritted their teeth and played through nagging aches and searing pains to keep the Red Sox within screaming distance in the unforgiving AL East. And last night, after ace lefty Jon Lester’s wretched first inning put the Red Sox in an early hole, Scutaro, Martinez and Beltre got the big hits in a six-run seventh inning that fueled a come-from-behind 9-6 victory at steamy Camden Yards.

–Scutaro, dealing with a painful shoulder problem, belted a game-tying two-run homer.
–Martinez, battered from catching nearly every inning for the past five weeks, ripped a go-ahead RBI double.
–Beltre (AP photo), trying to block out a hamstring strain, swatted a three-run homer into the left-field seats.

Suddenly, a 5-3 deficit turned into a 9-5 lead, and the Red Sox didn’t fall any farther behind either the first-place Yankees or wild-card-leading Rays, whom they trail by eight and seven games, respectively. Sure, reaching the playoffs remains a long shot, but until it’s no longer a mathematical possibility, the Red Sox owe it to three of the few players remaining from their Opening Day lineup to keep making an honest effort.

“We have a lot of pride,” Martinez said. “We don’t really care what people think about this team. We believe in ourselves. We trust in each other. That’s it.”

A few other notes:

–Lester simply can’t lose to the Orioles. He spotted them four runs in the first inning and another run in the second. But after allowing eight of the first 13 batters to reach base and admitting that he didn’t think he’d survive the third inning, Lester retired the next 11 batters, seven by strikeout. He completed six innings and left with a 9-5 lead, improving to 13-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 16 career starts against the Orioles. Lester has the longest winning streak by any active pitcher against any team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. His biggest out? Easy. The Orioles had a chance to extend their 5-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth when they loaded the bases with two outs. But Lester, his pitch count climbing toward 120, struck out former Sox shortstop Julio Lugo to end the threat and allow for the comeback.

–Scutaro has been playing with irritation in the rotator cuff of his right (throwing) shoulder, which has limited his ability to make strong throws, particularly from the hole between shortstop and third base. And although the injury has bothered him less at the plate, he hadn’t homered since July 30, a span of 119 at-bats, before he went deep against Orioles lefty Mark Hendrickson. Manager Terry Francona said Scutaro’s shoulder problem hasn’t progressed to the point where it would force him out of the lineup. Asked if offseason surgery will ultimately be required to fix the problem, Francona said nothing had been decided. “I’m sure we’re going to look into whatever’s in his best interest,” he said.

–Last Saturday night, right fielder J.D. Drew played the goat for catching a sacrifice fly in foul territory and allowing the Rays to score the tying run in an eventual 10-inning victory. So, give Drew credit for hustling around the bases to score the go-ahead run on Martinez’ double that split the gap in right-center in the decisive seventh inning. Drew, who had drawn a walk one batter earlier, never hesitated around third base, and although it was close at the plate, he slid in ahead of catcher Matt Wieters’ tag. Drew gave the credit to third-base coach Tim Bogar. “I thought it was just first to third,” Drew said. “I was running hard, and I saw him waving me early. I knew I had an opportunity to do something. I thought he might hold me late, but he didn’t. He just kept me going. It ended up being the right call.”

–Quick injury update: Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia were examined before last night’s game by foot specialist Dr. George Theodore. Both also are expected to receive CT scans Friday in Boston to determine the rate of healing of their respective foot fractures. Varitek likely will be cleared for a rehab assignment this weekend. In Pedroia’s case, a decision is expected about whether he’ll undergo season-ending surgery. “I think they probably discussed it, but I think Friday’s probably an important day,” said Francona, who noted that Theodore reported Pedroia was “much improved from last week.”

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — One day after tossing seven solid innings against the Orioles, Josh Beckett said his poor — and injury-interrupted — season is among the biggest reasons the Red Sox are a long shot to make the playoffs.

“All that time I missed, that hurt us,” Beckett said. “I’ve got four or five starts here. I don’t know about salvage my season. I missed a large portion of the season. That’s the toughest part. I’ve said this before: If you’re healthy, at least you can work on things. If you’re not healthy you can’t work on things. You’re very limited in what you can do. I’m just glad I’m healthy. Obviously, the outcome is not where I’d like it to be, but at least I can work on it and get better and do things I need to do. I’m definitely not folding the tent. I definitely want to go out and help this team win some games down the stretch.”

To recap: Beckett went 1-1 with a 7.29 ERA in his first eight starts before missing nine weeks with a back injury that was exacerbated when he slipped on a wet mound May 18 at Yankee Stadium. He returned on July 23 in Seattle, and in eight starts, he has gone 3-3 with a 5.22 ERA. From start to start, and even within starts, Beckett has been maddeningly inconsistent. Overall, he’s 4-4 with a 6.21 ERA in 16 starts.

The idea of playing out the string in September was something Beckett was familiar with during his first two seasons in Florida. Since he has been with the Red Sox, though, the team almost always has been in contention.

“It’s definitely different. Definitely different right now,” Beckett said. “It’s just different. I don’t really know what else to say. I was more used to it when I was younger, when I was playing in Florida, because most years, September was the time for guys to come up and play. I haven’t been through that since my first year here. We’ve got games against guys that are contenders. I don’t know about the rest of these guys. I’d rather go to the playoffs, but I don’t mind playing spoiler either. I don’t think we’ve completely folded up the tent here. We’ve got to go out and play well. We’ve got to play really well this month.”

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — A few notes before the Red Sox and Orioles get underway here in steamy Camden Yards:

–Rookie reliever Felix Doubront was diagnosed with a mild strain of his upper pectoral muscle on his right (non-throwing) side, according to manager Terry Francona. Doubront was advised to stay in Boston, but the Red Sox don’t believe the injury will keep him sidelined for more than a few days. “He’s going to be fine,” said Francona, who added that Doubront couldn’t be sure when he hurt himself, although he noticed it when he reached up to catch a return throw from catcher Victor Martinez.

–Despite his aching right shoulder, shortstop Marco Scutaro is playing again tonight. Francona said Scutaro has scaled back his pregame throwing and hitting routines to help maintain as much strength as possible in the irritated rotator cuff, but the injury hasn’t reached a stage where Scutaro needs to come out of the lineup. Asked if Scutaro may need offseason surgery to fix the problem, Francona said nothing has been decided yet. “When you get into that area — and I went through it myself — you just fully plan on having a nice surgery and feeling good,” Francona said. “Then, you see the doctor and you realize that, when you get in that area, sometimes you can do more harm. It’s not just cut and dried. I’m sure we’re going to look into whatever’s in his best interest.”

–As expected, the Red Sox have added catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, utility man Eric Patterson and lefty reliever Dustin Richardson in their first wave of September call-ups. Saltalamacchia and Patterson were reinstated from the disabled list, while Richardson was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. The Red Sox are expected to call up a few more players, most likely outfielder Josh Reddick and reliever Michael Bowden, once Pawtucket’s season ends next week. Carlos Delgado, signed to a minor-league contract nearly a month ago, still hasn’t played since mid-August because of hip soreness.

And tonight’s lineup:

SS Scutaro
RF Drew
C Martinez
DH Ortiz
3B Beltre
2B Lowrie
1B Lowell
LF Nava
CF Kalish
Lester — LHP

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — Here’s one possible explanation for why rookie left-hander Felix Doubront left two pitches over the plate to be hit for home runs in the eighth inning last night: He has a neck injury.

Doubront has been sent back to Boston today to be examined for pain in the right side of the front of his neck, manager Terry Francona said in his weekly radio interview with WEEI.

“The good news is it’s not his pitching arm. In fact, it’s not his arm, it’s his neck, but it’s on the (non-throwing) side,” Francona said. “It was starting to grab at him a little bit when he was lifting his glove so we want to get him looked at. We’ll see where that leads.”

More after Francona meets with the media at 4 p.m.

Also, with rosters expanding beyond 25 players today, Francona said lefty reliever Dustin Richardson has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. As expected, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and utility man Eric Patterson will be added to the roster after completing their minor-league rehab assignments. It’s likely outfielder Josh Reddick and reliever Michael Bowden also will be recalled once Pawtucket’s season ends next week.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — To general manager Theo Epstein, it will be obvious when the Red Sox no longer have a realistic chance to reach the playoffs.

“It’s like the Supreme Court said about pornography,” Epstein said today. “You know it when you see it.”

Maybe the Red Sox should cue the pay-per-view in their hotel rooms.

In tonight’s opener of a three-game series against the woebegone Orioles, the Red Sox fell flat, losing 5-2 at steamy Camden Yards. They never led, and although Josh Beckett finally gave them a strong start, they came up with only one clutch hit, a two-run homer by Jed Lowrie in the fifth inning that closed the gap to 3-2 before Felix Doubront allowed a pair of solo homers in the eighth.

And when it was over, they finally seemed to realize their fate.

Beckett left without speaking to reporters. After striking out three times, David Ortiz said, “I’m not talking today.” And closer Jonathan Papelbon declined to comment on the trade of reliever Manny Delcarmen earlier in the day.

Reality seems to be setting in.

“We’ve got to win games,” Lowrie said after the Sox dropped their third straight, leaving them eight games behind the first-place Yankees and seven behind the wild-card-leading Rays. “We don’t have any other choice.”

Except, of course, to concede and start playing for next year. Lowrie, who hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, has a chance to prove he’s ready to resume playing every day, and with shortstop Marco Scutaro nursing an irritation in his right rotator cuff that flares whenever he throws the ball (more on that in a bit), maybe Lowrie should take his place with the calendar flipping to September and the Red Sox’ outlook growing bleaker.

“Right now,” Epstein said, “we’re not eliminated.”

But they certainly look that way.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — After tonight’s 5-2 loss to the Orioles, the Red Sox announced they have released outfielder Jeremy Hermida.

Hermida, acquired last November from the Florida Marlins in a trade for two minor leaguers, had been informed he wasn’t getting a September call-up. He was designated for assignment July 31, and after accepting a demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket, he batted .288 with two homers and 12 RBI in 19 games.

Ironically, the beginning of the end for Hermida with the Red Sox seemingly came here in Baltimore on June 4 when he fractured five ribs in a collision with third baseman Adrian Beltre that was eerily similar to the April 11 collision between Beltre and Jacoby Ellsbury that effectively derailed Ellsbury’s season.

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — In 2006, when injuries ravaged the Red Sox’ roster and left them eight games out of first place on Aug. 31, they dealt pitcher David Wells to the Padres for a player to be named (eventually, backup catcher George Kottaras). The message, at that time, was clear: The Red Sox had given up on the 2006 season and were planning for the future.

That isn’t the case now.

After trading reliever Manny Delcarmen to the Colorado Rockies today for minor-league pitcher Chris Balcom-Miller, general manager Theo Epstein insisted he isn’t waving the white flag on the season, even though the Red Sox enter tonight’s game against the Orioles with a seven-game deficit in both the AL East and wild-card races. Although Epstein allows that the Red Sox “need to get really hot, hotter than we’ve gotten at any point during the year, to make this thing interesting,” he also believes such a hot streak is still possible.

“I think it’s distinguishable from the Wells-Kottaras trade in ‘06,” Epstein said. “I think that was a bright-line example of where our hopes for contention in that season had completely dissipated based on the injuries and the talent we had left on the roster. Whereas, I think this club is capable of winning games.”

Epstein said the Red Sox had lost enough confidence in Delcarmen (Herald photo by John Wilcox) that he was no longer trusted to pitch in close games. In fact, Delcarmen had pitched only once since Aug. 21 and not at all during last weekend’s series against the Rays. He hadn’t entered a tie game since Aug. 13 in Texas or pitched with a lead since Aug. 10 in Toronto. Delcarmen, once a vital member of the bullpen, seemingly had been passed on the trustworthy meter by both rookie lefty Felix Doubront and right-hander Scott Atchison, who allowed Dan Johnson’s crushing walk-off homer for the Rays in the ninth inning last Saturday night.

“I don’t think moving what had become for us a lower-leverage reliever was going to make the difference for us one way or the other in (making a postseason push),” Epstein said. “We pick up a guy (Balcom-Miller) that we liked in the draft a lot last year, probably should’ve taken. We let him sit on the board a little bit too long. He’s gone out and really performed. Had some recent look from scouts, and we like his stuff and we like his projectability. We get that asset and I don’t think we necessarily take away from the chances of us doing what we need to do, which is get extremely hot to get back in this thing. We’re constantly looking to find guys that we can lean on in high-leverage situations, and the way the season evolved, at this point in time, Manny wasn’t one of those guys. So, we thought it was worthwhile to get an asset that can really help us in the future for what was now becoming a bit of a diminishing asset for us.”

Asked how far back the Red Sox would have to fall before turning to next season, Epstein said, “It’s kind of like the Supreme Court said about pornography: ‘You’ll know it when you see it.’ Right now, we’re not eliminated. We’re trying to get really hot.”

More from Epstein (Herald file photo):

(On the Red Sox’ predicament in the playoff race): “It’ll be difficult but not impossible. I’m not going to sit here and assess just how difficult it’ll be. I’ll leave that up to (the media). But we need to play better and get hotter than we’ve been at any point during the season. This is not the position that we want to be in. We had a good opportunity in a big series over the weekend with three games that we had a legitimate chance to win and only won one of them. That doesn’t make things easier. But it’s not impossible. I’m not going to sit here and blow smoke and say we’re right where we want to be. We’re not. We’ve got to get extremely hot and catch some breaks along the way. Again, that’s why we’re here. We’re going out here to try to win these games and make that happen. Not that it’s a likelihood or that we’re in the perfect position to do that. We’re not. We’ve got to play that much better to try to make up for it.”

(On whether the starting rotation, which has only the sixth-best ERA in the AL, has been a disappointment): “I think it’s fair to say that we expected the rotation, one through five, to be a real weapon for us, that if everything broke our way might be really dominant. There was even some margin for error built in for when guys didn’t perform. We had the horses to pick up the slack. It hasn’t come to fruition. It’s not the way we imagined. I think guys are still battling. Certainly, there’s been some guys who’ve taken a major step forward, Clay Buchholz first and foremost. But it hasn’t all come together the way we would’ve liked, and that’s baseball. I wish things were more predictable. You try to put the pieces in place and hope that it plays out a certain way, but it doesn’t always work that way. There’s still time to right the ship and string together quality start after quality start after quality start and figure things out for the future as well. We certainly have the talent. We have as talented a starting rotation as anyone in baseball. It’s just been one of those years where we haven’t had that consistency and that consistent domination one through five that we had the potential to have, unfortunately.”

(On whether he’s frustrated over not being able to improve the team through trades): “Yeah, there has been some frustration. I think, what I said to the Delcarmen question earlier, we’re going to need to get really hot, so subtracting a lower-leverage reliever for us probably isn’t going to make the difference of us getting really hot or not. The pieces that we would’ve been able to add also, I don’t think, were probably not going to make the difference in us getting hot or not. The players that are here performing at a certain level would dictate that. That said, we were working on some things that would’ve maybe made a more significant impact, that could’ve helped contribute to a real hot stretch, the type of hot stretch that would be necessary to get us back into this thing. True, it’s frustrating that we weren’t able to accomplish those deals, but still, those are significant deals that don’t usually take place in August.”

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — On the final day for waiver trades, the Red Sox have dealt reliever Manny Delcarmen and cash considerations to the Rockies for minor-league pitcher Chris Balcom-Miller.

Delcarmen, 28, was 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA, 32 strikeouts and 28 walks in 48 appearances this season. A native of Boston, he ranks fourth in club history with 289 appearances over parts of six seasons, during which time he posted a 3.89 ERA.

Balcom-Miller, a 21-year-old right-hander, will report to Single-A Greenville. He was 6-7 with a 3.31 ERA for the Rockies’ Single-A Ashville affiliate.

More coming …

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

BALTIMORE — So, while the Red Sox were idle here last night, both the Rays and Yankees won again. Thus, as the Sox open a three-game series here on the final night of August, they’re seven games behind Tampa Bay and New York for a playoff spot.

At this point, it appears they’re only slightly more likely to reach the postseason than Tiger Woods is to become a marriage counselor.

If the Red Sox have any chance at all — and the folks at Baseball Prospectus have calculated their odds at only 8.61 percent, lower even than Manny Ramirez’ White Sox (11.05 percent) — they will have to go on a lenghty winning streak, the likes of which they haven’t had since interleague play in mid-June. We’re talking about winning 12 of 15 games, or 18 of 20, something like that. And, even then, it may not matter. The Yankees finish the season with 10 of 13 games against the Rays and Red Sox, but before that, they’re on a 10-game homestand that includes seven games against the sub-.500 A’s and the woeful Orioles, who’ve been playing out the string since the third week of April.

Translation: If the Red Sox don’t get on a serious roll right now, starting tonight, any late-season games against the Yankees will be meaningless.

“We’re trying to make it better sooner than later,” third baseman Adrian Beltre said, “because if we wait until later, it’s going to be tough. And then we’ll have to play in panic mode. It’s better for us to make it easier and gain some ground now and start to cut the deficit a little bit.”

It may already be too late.

We’re expecting to hear from GM Theo Epstein in a little while. He has joined the team here at Camden Yards and is expected to address reporters. So, please stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile, here’s the lineup against promising Orioles lefty Brian Matusz:

SS Scutaro
CF McDonald
C Martinez
DH Ortiz
3B Beltre
1B Lowell
RF Drew
2B Lowrie
LF Hall
Beckett (4-3, 6.50 ERA)

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

TAMPA, Fla. — Lots of big-picture, where-do-they-stand-now talk here last night after the Red Sox lost both the game (5-3) and the series (2-1) to the Rays at the Trop. With 31 games remaining, the Sox are 6-1/2 games behind both the Rays and Yankees for what likely will be the AL East crown and the wild-card spot. And while their chances of reaching the postseason aren’t impossible (I covered a Phillies team that made up a seven-game deficit in 17 games to win the NL East over the Mets in 2007), the math definitely is daunting.

For example, if either the Rays or the Yankees, both 80-50, play .500 over their last 32 games, they would finish with 96 wins. The Red Sox, 74-57, would have to finish 22-9 to catch them. To do that, they’ll have to string together a few lengthy winning streaks, and amazingly, they have only one four-game winning streak since they won six in a row against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers at Fenway in mid-June. They haven’t won five or more consecutive games against American League competition since May 18-26, when they went 6-0 against the Yankees, Twins and Rays with a 2-1 weekend against the NL Phillies mixed in.

As the Red Sox head to Baltimore, here’s a sampling of reaction from last night’s game, starting with the starting pitcher:

JOHN LACKEY (AP photo)
On allowing five runs in 6-1/3 innings: “I’m still trying to figure it out. I mean, I felt way too good to give up five runs, for sure. … I mean, honestly, I gave up like three hard-hit balls all night, and they pretty much maximized the damage they could get. … I gave up two homers (to Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford) and probably threw the ball about as good as I’ve thrown the ball in years. I had as good a stuff as I’ve had in a long time.”
On the Red Sox’ playoff chances: “I mean, what are we, five or six (games) behind? We’ve got a lot more games than that. I’m not a math whiz, but I think it’s doable.”

DAVID ORTIZ
On the ramifications of losing ground in the standings this weekend: “We’re going to have to keep on playing. The only thing that’s going to change that this last month is to win as many as we can.”

ADRIAN BELTRE
On losing the series to the Rays: “It’s tough. We came hoping to win the series and it didn’t happen. It’s in the past and we’ll do whatever we can do from now on to gain some ground.”
On the Red Sox’ playoff chances: “We’re still in it. Nobody said we’re out. … We’re trying to make it better sooner or later because if we wait until later it’s going to be tough and then we’ll have to play in panic mode. It’s better for us to make it easier and gain some ground now and start to cut the deficit a little bit. We haven’t really got a winning streak. If we do that, and hopefully (the Rays or Yankees) lose some games, we’ll be right there. We still have six games with the Yankees. You never know what can happen.”
On whether the Sox can go on a long winning streak: “We haven’t played that well. We’ve won some series and stuff, but we haven’t really got a six- or seven-game winning streak. Hopefully, this series, we’ll go to Baltimore and try and sweep them. Go back home and try to win six or seven straight and see what happens. Winning series might do it, but it might be difficult because the other two teams are playing good, too. Six games (back) with 30-plus to play, it’s probably not going to cut it just to win series. We’re going to have to get six or seven or eight straight games to win it.”

With that, it’s off to Baltimore, where the Sox are Orioles will open a three-game series tomorrow night at Camden Yards. No game tonight, so we ask you this: What’s your level of confidence that the Red Sox can put together a substantial winning streak and surge into the playoffs?

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Despite pulling up and grabbing his hamstring while running to first base on an infield single last night, third baseman Adrian Beltre remained in the game. And Beltre is back in the lineup again tonight, too.

Asked how his hamstring feels today, Beltre said, “Good enough.”

“I wasn’t coming out of that game,” Beltre continued. “I’m stubborn. I know sometimes I can overboard, but unless (the hamstring) blows up, I’m going to play. We know how important these games are for us, and for me to be sitting on the bench when there’s a slight chance I can play, it’s hard for me to sit. That’s why I’m not doing it. We already have enough guys missing, so I don’t think we need to add anybody else to that list.”

Here’s the complete lineup against Rays right-hander James Shields:

SS Scutaro
RF Drew
C Martinez
DH Ortiz
3B Beltre
1B Lowell
LF Nava
CF McDonald
2B Navarro
Lackey — RHP

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

The Red Sox have claimed Angels catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli off waivers, according to a league source, but are unlikely to swing a deal for the power hitter.

The move was instead meant at least in part as a defensive one to keep Napoli from reaching a team like the Rays, who could use more right-handed power.

According to the source, the Angels will likely pull Napoli back, anyway, since they could create more of a market for him if they trade him over the winter. They don’t seem particularly motivated to trade him now.

The 28-year-old has a career-high 21 homers this year, but has been displaced at catcher by Jeff Mathis, who is superior defensively. Napoli has been playing first base with slugger Kendry Morales sidelined by a broken leg.

The news was first reported by ESPNBoston.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It was the best catch that J.D. Drew never wanted to make.

With the Red Sox leading 1-0, the tying run on third base and one out in the seventh inning tonight, the Rays’ Matt Joyce lifted a fly ball that was slicing foul. From his right-field position, Drew raced toward the line, and while his instincts told him to catch the ball, his head told him to let it drop.

Drew’s instincts won.

So, although he had run across the bullpen mound and nearly collided with the Rays’ relievers sitting on a bench, Drew somehow made the catch, turned and threw the ball to the infield, knowing he had no chance to make a play on Carlos Pena, who tagged from third and scored the tying run.

“I really don’t know how I caught the thing,” Drew said after the Red Sox’ crushing 3-2 loss in 10 innings. “It’s kind of amazing to me. If I tried to make that play in a situation with two outs and the game on the line, I probably wouldn’t be able to get to it. For some reason, the thing stuck in my glove. It was one of them absolutely great plays in a situation where you need to let the ball drop.”

Prevailing opinion in the Red Sox’ clubhouse was that Drew should’ve let the ball drop. In that case, Clay Buchholz (AP photo) would’ve had a full count on Joyce, who walked and singled against him in his previous two at-bats. Dan Johnson, who hit the eventual game-winning home run, was on deck.

“The only way I think it’s probably in our best interest (for him to catch it) is if he feels like he can catch it and get turned around (and make a throw),” manager Terry Francona said.

Said Drew, “It’s a question mark. If you let the ball drop and he walks, there’s two guys on and the next pitch he hit’s a two-run homer. It’s a difficult situation. But in that part of the game, Clay’s throwing the ball pretty well. He’s got a good chance 3-2, but you never know what’s going to happen. Looking back, it could have gone either way. Who knows what the next pitch holds if I don’t catch it.”

Before Drew made his decision, Buchholz committed a two-base throwing error on a failed pickoff of Pena at first base. Buchholz said the pickoff was called from the bench, even though Pena has only five stolen bases in six attempts and wasn‘t a threat to run.

“Yeah, you say that until the guy steals a base and the next guy hits a single up the middle and scores,” said Buchholz, who allowed two runs (one earned) in 7-1/3 innings and lowered his league-leading ERA to 2.21. “No, I’m not second-guessing any of that. I tried to get it over there a little too quick, and he wasn’t as far off (the base) as I thought he was.”

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It doesn’t surprise Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon that the Red Sox still are pushing for a playoff spot even without injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia, first baseman Kevin Youkilis and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron.

If anything, it humbles him.

“In spite of all the injuries, they still have better offensive numbers than we do,” Maddon said before tonight’s game at Tropicana Field. “If you put them next to us, on paper, they score more runs, they’ve hit more homers, they have a higher batting average and a higher on-base percentage. So, I can’t really feel too sorry for them or be sad about who they’ve lost.”

It’s a testament, Maddon said, to the depth of the Red Sox’ roster and farm system.

At first base, they plugged in veteran Mike Lowell, who lacked a role until Youkilis injured his thumb. Utility players Bill Hall and Jed Lowrie, both everyday players at various stages of their careers, have taken turns at second base. And although the Red Sox have used 11 outfielders in more than 30 combinations, Darnell McDonald, Ryan Kalish and Daniel Nava have been productive replacements.

“Nobody talks about all their young players coming up,” Maddon said. “They’ve done a great job by bringing up young players. I think a lot of times, in those (difficult) moments, a lot of good things happen. Sometimes people rise up and you find out things about other people that you didn’t know about.”

To wit: McDonald, a journeyman minor leaguer, has proven to be a dependable player in the majors. Nearly designated for assignment May 25 before the Red Sox played in Tampa Bay, he has remained on the roster and batted .273 with a .781 on-base/slugging percentage entering tonight, better numbers than Rays center fielder B.J. Upton (.235, .735) and right fielder Ben Zobrist (.251, .710).

Hall, meanwhile, has his highest home-run total (17 entering last night) since 2006 when he blasted 35 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Batting near the bottom of the Red Sox’ lineup, he has only two fewer homers than Rays All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria.

As a result, the Red Sox had scored 653 runs, hit 171 home runs and posted a .797 OPS, topping the Rays’ totals of 638 runs, 119 homers and a .739 OPS. In fact, Maddon has given up on believing the Rays will outslug the Red Sox down the stretch.

“It really comes down to pitching, who’s going to pitch better the last month,” Maddon said. “I think (the Red Sox) have done a great job with everything. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. Offensively, there’s no let up, there’s no big hole there, regardless of who’s missing.”

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One of the biggest disappointments for the Red Sox this season has been the performance of lefty reliever Hideki Okajima.

Now, he has one month to redeem himself.

Okajima has been activated from the disabled list before tonight’s game. To open a roster spot, right-hander Michael Bowden has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, although he’s expected to be recalled again in about 10 days after rosters expand in September. Okajima, sidelined since Aug. 6 by a right hamstring strain, has been so heavily relied upon for the past few years. But he’s 4-3 with a 5.85 ERA in 40 appearances this season.

Asked if Okajima can somehow turn back the clock to 2007 and 2008 and be a dependable late-inning reliever again, manager Terry Francona said, “Oh, what a big lift he can give us. We’ve leaned on him for a couple of years, and he’s been such a big weapon for us. That would be really welcome.”

Bowden, meanwhile, had a 6.00 ERA in six relief appearances.

Here’s the lineup tonight against Rays right-hander Matt Garza:

SS Scutaro
RF Drew
C Martinez
DH Ortiz
3B Beltre
1B Lowell
LF Nava
CF Kalish
2B Hall
Buchholz — RHP

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)