The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • C5

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013 The Boston Globe Sports C5 Farrell continues to get lineup in order By Nick Cafardo GLOBE STAFF TAMPA What's in a When your top hitter (David Bik Red Sox spring training report SCORE: Yankees 4, Red Sox 0. RECORD: 13-12-1. BREAKDOWN: All of the runs were scored in the second inning when Felix Doubront lost his mechanics and allowed five hits, a walk, and a wild pitch. The Red Sox never recovered and couldn't solve Vidal Nuno, who pitched five two-hit innings for the Yankees. The only Sox player with multiple hits was Jackie Bradley who got two of the four.

Doubront, who said afterward he was too hunched over in his delivery and needed to correct his posture, allowed a single to Juan Rivera and double to Ben Francisco before Jayson Nix's sacrifice fly scored the first run. Chris Stewart drove in a run with a single, and hits by Thomas Neal and Melky Mesa set the stage for a wild pitch and another run. After a walk to Brett Gardner, Eduardo Nunez hit a sacrifice fly to score the fourth run. THUMBS UP: Bradley played center field and batted third, stroking a two-out double to left -center in the first inning and single in the ninth to raise his spring training average to .444. Daniel Nava went 1 for 3 and made another successful start at first base.

Brad Holt had the only other Sox hit. Sox relievers Andrew Bailey (two-thirds of an inning), Joel Hanra-han (one inning), Clay Mortensen (one inning), and Andrew Miller (one inning) held the Yankees scoreless after the second inning. THUMBS DOWN: Mauro Gomez went 0 for 4 as the designated hitter and is batting .175, not making a compelling case to stick with the team. Ryan Sweeney was 0 for 3 and Drew Sutton went 0 for 3 and made an error at third base. Mike Carp, who started in left field, also made an error.

MEDICAL REPORT: David Ortiz took 50 more swings in the batting cage for the second straight day, but still no word on when he'll start his running program Shortstop Stephen Drew continued testing in Pittsburgh for concussion symptoms, but no word on his progress Franklin Morales threw from 60 feet a second straight day and is close to starting a throwing program after missing time with a bulging disk in his back. AROUND THE BASES: Most of the pregame hoopla surrounded an update on Derek Jeter by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. Jeter had an anti-inflammatory shot for his surgically repaired left ankle. The game was played in 2 hours 17 minutes before 10,801 at Steinbrenner Field. NEXT GAME: Thursday against the Phillies at 7:05 p.m.

The Sox will start righthander John Lackey with Andrew Miller, Andrew Bailey, Koji Ue-hara, Chris Hernandez, and Oscar Villarreal to follow. NICK CAFARDO Ortiz) is out for awhile, then a RED SOX NOTEBOOK lot goes into it. How do you protect your better hitters, such as Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli? Who replaces Ortiz? Red Sox manager John Farrell is getting closer to an everyday lineup, though he's still struggling with the second spot in the batting order against righthanders. "Jonny Gomes had a lot of success in the 2-hole last year," Farrell said. "Against a lefty, we have options.

Righthanded, that's where switch hitter Daniel Nava's situation comes into focus. And yet we're not set on which of those lefthanders will make the club." Gomes hit .330 with a 1.022 OPS in 116 plate appearances batting second for the Athletics last year, but most of those appearances came against lefthanded pitchers. The trick is finding someone to bat second who can hit righthanded pitchers. Normally, it would be a no-brainer that Pedroia would hit second, but without Ortiz, he'll be hitting third. One player making a case is Nava, who went 1 for 3 batting second and playing first base Wednesday in a 4-0 loss to the Yankees.

"At some point, we can't totally neglect spring training," said Farrell. "We're going to balance that with the long-term production they've had." Nava could have a leg up on Mike Carp, Lyle Overbay, and Ryan Sweeney for a job as an extra outfielderfirst baseman. The fact that Nava handles the bat well and sees a lot of pitches improves his chances. Farrell was asked whether he would be opposed to having two catchers in the lineup (one as the designated hitter), as he did Sunday, when Jarrod Salta-lamacchia was the DH and David Ross the catcher in a 5-1 win over the Rays. "I don't object to that," Farrell said.

"I understand the risk you run. If we were in a situation where Salty had to go behind the plate, we'd go with pinch hitters rather than go with Mike Napoli behind the plate." That means there are no plans to have Napoli catch a game or two. The Red Sox assistant hitting coach Victor SCOTT AUDETTEREUTERS Rodriguez before the game. Yankees 4, Red Sox 0 at Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, Fla. ing because I learned a lot," Doubront said.

"I made an adjustment and I felt good I did that and it helped me. All the pitches came back again." Morales progressing Lefthander Franklin Morales has made it through back-to-back long-toss sessions. Now the Sox will put him on a throwing program The Yankees tried out righthander Chien-Ming Wang Wednesday morning, and he is open to starting at Triple A ScrantonWilkes-Barre. Wang won 19 games twice for the Yankees (2006, '07) before being derailed by injuries. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wang, who used to throw in the mid to high 90s with a hard sinker, is now at 92-93 The Red Sox appear ready to make more cuts before Thursday night's game against the Phillies.

Farrell and the front office staff will meet Thursday morning Farrell was asked again about Jackie Bradley who had two of Boston's four hits against the Yankees. "He's done everything we've asked of him," said Farrell. "He's had an excellent camp." Bradley is hitting .444 The trainers came out to check on Doubront early in the game. It was nothing major. "The tape was too tight around my foot," he said.

"It hurt." Scouts continue to take a long, hard look at Sox relievers. Representatives of the Brewers, Rangers, Angels, Dodgers, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, and Pirates were on hand for the game. They were also focused on Yankees righthander Joba Chamberlain, who pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout. He might be available. Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardoglobe.com.

Follow him on Twitter nickcafardo. BOSTON Holt 2b Diaz 2b Nava lb-lf Bradley cf Gomez dh Carp If-lb Ross Vazquez Sweeney rf Sutton 3b Igleslas ss Hee ss ab bi NEW YORK bi 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Gardner If Williams cf Nunez ss Vlazquez ss Youkilis 3b 0 0 Joseph 2b Rivera lb 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Johnson lb Francisco rf Maruszak If Nix 2b Pirela 3b 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 4 7 3 Stewart Wilson Neal dh Mesa cf-rf 30 0 4 0 Totals Boston 000 000 000 0 New York 040 000 OOx 4 E-Sutton (3), Carp (1), Nunez (3). DP-Boston 2. LOB-Boston 4, New York 6. 2B-Bradley (3), Francisco (8).

CS-Mesa (1). SF-Nunez, Nix. BOSTON Doubront (L 1-2) Bailey Hanrahan Mortensen Miller NEW YORK Nuno (W 1-1) Robertson Chamberlain Spence Eppley Montgomery IP 4V4 'A 1 1 1 5 1 1 Vi 'A 1 ER BB SO WP Doubront. Umpires Home, Dan las-sogna; First, Mark Carlson; Second, Marty Foster; Third, Marcus Pattillo. Missing persons in opener GOLF SALE Kevin Youkilis greets Red Sox know that Napoli could and would catch in an emergency, but they will not use him that way after Napoli was diagnosed with a hip condition.

Ross, meanwhile, has caught all the starters this spring except Clay Buchholz. "I caught a bullpen about four years ago with him," Ross said. Ross, who has been extremely impressive handling the staff, had his hands full with an erratic Felix Doubront Wednesday. Doubront allowed five hits, four runs, a walk, and threw a wild pitch, all in the second inning. Ross took part of the blame.

"I was just getting a feel for him," he said. "That one inning I was out of synch with him, not knowing his pitching style and how he gets out of trouble." Ross classified Doubront's stuff as exceptional. "His posture, if he can stay when the injured ones come back. The saving grace is the starting rotation, where CC Sa-bathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and Ivan Nova are solid (if Kuroda and Pettitte hold up over a full year). They also have the comeback-ing Mariano Rivera to close.

When baseball people are asked to predict the last-place team in the AL East, the Yankees lately have unseated the Red Sox as the most popular pick. That's why Cashman is taking a long-view approach. "One-sixty-two," said Cash-man. "It's a long season. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure when the dust settles you're asking us, 'How did you get through rather than, 'How did you allow this to bury "We're not going to allow this to bury us.

We can't." As he spoke, Cashman wondered whether he had insulted Jeter in any way by suggesting he may not be ready to play the kind of thing that could turn up on the back pages of the New York tabloids. "This player isn't the easiest one, because he plays through anything and tolerates it all, and he's not necessarily the most vocal if anything is barking," said Cashman. "He's going to have ups and downs in the early portion of it. "It still is really early in the process. We have to make sure it's the right steps." Meanwhile, in Fort Myers, Ortiz, who has shut down his running program for more than a week after experiencing inflammation in his heels, gradu tall, his ball was going where he wanted it to," Ross explained.

"Some things were cutting back over the middle, especially with two strikes in the bad inning. That's what he was focusing on. When I was able to get on the same page and talk to him about his posture, he started to put the ball where he wanted to. "Another thing I didn't know is that he threw a backdoor breaking ball. He struck out Ben Francisco on a frontdoor sinker and I didn't know he liked to do that.

"Some of those runs are on me. I don't think I called a great game. I thought I was a bit of a hindrance in that inning." Doubront, like other Sox starters, is starting to pick up the pace on the mound. But doing that messed him up at one point because his legs were way ahead of his arm. "I felt happy about this out ated to soft toss Wednesday, taking 50 swings at balls flipped to him by coaching staff assistant Ino Guerrero.

Head athletic trainer Rick Jameyson and physical therapist Dan Dyrek were on hand to monitor Ortiz, who on Tuesday took 50 swings at balls on a tee. Ortiz took some hefty swings and left the batting cage walking normally. The Red Sox are in the process of building him back up after a nine-day layoff because of the inflammation, a residual effect of the Achilles' tendon injury he had last season. Ortiz eventually will get to batting practice on the field and then running the bases, which was when his latest setback occurred. If he is able to run the bases, Ortiz would then play in his first game this spring.

In both cases, the teams are handling their players with care. Cashman emphasized that it's not about getting ready for Opening Day with Jeter. The same is true for Ortiz. "Opening Day is not in the scope of treatment in this case," Cashman said. "We're just doing what's best for him.

Treat this injury and get it behind him as soon as possible. "It's pretty remarkable he's doing what he's doing but he is, as we know, a remarkable individual regardless. Because of who he is, I can't rule anything out." Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardoglobe.com. Follow him on Twitter nickcafardo. Peter Abraham of the Globe staff contributed to this story from Fort Myers.

MARCH 15-MARCH 24 10 Off 2013 golf clubs, putters, balls and GPS unitsrange finders 20 Off 2013 apparel, accessories, carts, bags, shoes, travel bags and gloves Hugo discounts on discontinued 2012 golf merchandise Extreme end-of-year savings on winter merchandise ON BASEBALL Continued from Page CI "These are obstacles you deal with and you find a way to get over it. Nobody cares about it. All that matters is what you put in that win column. That's the job description, period. You have to figure it out.

You have to find a way." It's hard to see that path right now for the Yankees. One or two guys being out is one thing, but if Jeter becomes, like Ortiz, a prolonged process, then what? The Yankees have Eduardo Nunez to take Jeter's place, but he's not Jeter. "It's a time issue," said Cash-man, who coincidentally broke his ankle this month in a skydiving accident and is getting around on a scooter. "Over time, he'll find a way through it. If anybody can do it, Derek Jeter can." While the Red Sox will have a revolving door at DH (including Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jonny Gomes, or even Mike Napoli), the Yankees are plugging in Juan Rivera at first base and Melky Mesa in center.

They are relying on a Kevin Youkilis rebirth, and a superstar season from Robinson Ca-no, who no longer has great protection around him in the lineup. In right field, they will go with Ben FranciscoBrennan Boesch. The Yankees will likely pick up a hitter before the start of the season, but how much impact he will have remains to be seen. There has been talk about Alfonso Soriano from the Cubs, but the Yankees have tried to stay away from players who would require playing time 'Selected products from Callaway, Odyssey, Ping, Titleist, Mizuno and Taylor Made not subject to discount due to manufacturers' pricing policies. GLF.