ESPN

Victor Martinez will DH tonight as the Red Sox go for a sweep against the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Terry Francona said Wednesday on WEEI’s “Dale & Holley Show.”

David Ortiz was Boston’s designated hitter on Monday night, but continued to struggle. He walked and scored the game-tying run in the second, but also bounced into a double-play, popped to center, and, in the eighth, with lefty Scott Downs on the mound, two outs, bases loaded -- got lifted for pinch-hitter Mike Lowell.

Lowell drew the game-deciding walk in Boston’s 2-1 victory.

On Wednesday, when asked on WEEI about pulling Ortiz, Francona said: "We are trying to do everything in our power to kind of scratch and claw and find a way to win a game … Every night, the way we are situated right now, there is going to be room to be second guessed."

Francona added: "I think you guys make more of it than we do. That's not what I'm thinking about during the game. I don't think David heard me when I was yelling at him right away. The idea is never to embarrass anybody, of course. But we are trying to run the game, and you don't know the situation before the at-bat comes up. You wait, but that's certainly not something we would ever try to do is embarrass anybody."

Notes:

-- The Sox have designated infielder Kevin Frandsen for assignment, to make room on the 40-man roster for pitcher Alan Embree, according to several reports. Frandsen, who was acquired from the Giants in the spring, was hitting .258 with two homers and four RBI for Pawtucket.

-- Clay Buchholz served up a career-high 117 pitches -- 80 of them strikes -- in squaring his record at 2-2. His previous high had been the 115 pitches he'd needed to no-hit the Orioles on Sept. 1, 2007, his second big-league start.

-- Ramon Ramirez, the lone reliever who didn't make it into Monday's 13-12 marathon, needed 11 pitches for a 1-2-3 ninth and his second career save -- first since Sept. 4, 2008, against the A's.

-- So glad you could make it, Fabio. The Sox, who had summoned Tuesday's scheduled Pawtucket starter Fabio Castro to provide some long insurance out of the pen, was advised he'd be returning to the PawSox. Boston will have lefty reliever Alan Embree in uniform for Wednesday's series finale.

-- The Sox have now played five straight one-run games, winning four. Seven of their last eight games have also been one-run affairs (6-1).

-- Tuesday marked Boston's first win of the year when scoring less than three runs (1-7).

The Red Sox made a roster move Tuesday in the wake of going through six relievers in Monday’s 113-12 victory over the Blue Jays, recalling lefthanded pitcher Fabio Castro from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioning righthander Scott Atchison.

The 25-year-old Castro was a starter for Pawtucket this season, going 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA.

Atchison has a 6.10 ERA with the Red Sox this season in seven appearances over 10 1/3 innings.

The team faces a Friday deadline to decide whether to promote lefthanded reliever Alan Embree from Pawtucket. The 40-year-old has indicated he will exercise an out clause in his contract if not called up by Friday.

Embree has been excelling with the PawSox. In his last five outings, he has pitched five scoreless innings and has not allowed a hit or walk while whiffing three.

The Red Sox will need to make another roster move Saturday, when they will activate starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and move Tim Wakefield to the bullpen.

Red Sox lefthanded reliever Alan Embree told the Providence Journal on Monday that he will exercise his opt out clause if he is not called up from Triple-A Pawtucket before the Friday deadline.

The 40-year-old Embree had an April 15 opt-out date in his contract with the Sox, but pushed that back to this Friday.

"There's not going to be any extending of the deadline anymore,” Embree told the Providence Journal from Pawtucket on Monday. "I've been a good soldier, I did whatever's asked, and I did what it took to get ready."

Promoting Embree might be in the offing for the Red Sox, whose bullpen has struggled of late. Embree, on the other hand, has been excelling with the PawSox. In his last five outings, Embree has pitched five scoreless innings and has not allowed a hit or walk while whiffing three.

Coming out of spring training Embree was passed over for a spot in the Red Sox bullpen by righty Scott Atchison and lefty Scott Schoeneweis, both of whose jobs might be in jeopardy.

Atchison is the likely candidate to be shipped out when Daisuke Matsuzaka is activated Saturday and Tim Wakefield goes to the bullpen and Embree could take the place of Schoeneweis by Friday.

"If something hasn't happened by [April 30], I think they know that I'm not going to consider staying,” Embree told the Journal. "So it's pretty much cut-and-dried. If I don't hear anything, I get on a plane and head home until I have a new job."

SARASOTA, Fla. – A beautiful day for the Red Sox’s exhibition road game against the Orioles today (1 p.m.). A few quick hits from manager Terry Francona’s meeting with reporters this morning in the third-base dugout:

Mike Lowell follow-up. Francona didn’t have a timetable for when Lowell (left knee contusion) might return. “I guess it's not as bad as it could have been,” he said. Asked about the possibility of placing Lowell on the disabled list, Francona said that type of decision isn’t on his mindset at this time.

Quick look at Scott Schoeneweis. Left-handed relief pitcher Scott Schoeneweis arrived in Fort Myers on Friday night and was in the clubhouse this morning at City of Palms Park (more from him a bit later). The plan is for Schoeneweis, who has an April 15 option but who figures his status with the Sox will be determined by the time the club breaks camp, to throw a light side today and have him pitch on Monday. “The one thing he’s been able to do is get left-handers out. That was the report that came out of Brewers camp,” Francona said. “We’re just trying to cover everything. We have Alan [Embree] here. We know it’s going to be a short look and that’s why we’re trying not to mess around and prolong it. We want him to be able to get out there and pitch a few times so we can make some good decisions.”

Monday moves with pitchers. Francona said reliever Boof Bonser will pitch in the minor-league game Monday afternoon, as will Daisuke Matsuzaka. Relievers Alan Embree and Schoeneweis are scheduled to pitch in the major league game that night, and given the battle for the final two roster spots in the bullpen, those outings will be important to evaluate. “We have to get those guys in the game and that was the way to do it,” Francona said.

Pitching plan for Washington. Francona said Tim Wakefield and Matsuzaka are scheduled to pitch in the exhibition finale in Washington on April 3. Francona said the Sox are trying to stay away from their relievers in that game. Asked if Matsuzaka will then return to extended spring training, Francona said that has not been determined.

Frandsen set to arrive this morning. Utility infielder Kevin Frandsen, acquired in a trade from the San Francisco Giants on Friday, was scheduled to arrive in Fort Myers this morning on a red-eye flight.

Hulett to see more time at shortstop in coming week. Infielder Tug Hulett, who delivered a walk-off single in Friday’s comeback win over the Blue Jays and is hitting .286 this spring, will see more action at shortstop this week. “He’s swung the bat well,” Francona said.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- There was a moment, Alan Embree said Thursday morning, that it felt like maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Warming up [Wednesday],'' he said, "I was thinking maybe I should head back home. I was all over the place.''

A day later, Embree has his sights set on only one destination: a return to Boston, which looks closer than ever after his first inning this spring, which came against Baltimore's Triple-A team.

Embree, who threw 12 pitches, 11 for strikes Wednesday, in setting down the side in order, said his arm felt fine Thursday morning.

"It was never going to be a question, I think,'' Embree said. "One game, but I still threw quality pitches. I had a good breaking ball, good fastball, both with location. To do that when you haven't seen hitters all spring, you walk away going, 'That day was a plus.'''

Embree is scheduled to face big-league hitters for the first time on Saturday in Sarasota. Eight days later, the regular season opens.

Embree believes he could be ready by then.

"I don't see why I couldn't, but it's not my call,'' he said. "Put it this way: I'm preparing myself for Opening Day.''

But he added this qualifier: "Everything would have to go perfect for that to happen. If it's not a quick fix, I could see them being cautious.''

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Alan Embree emerged from the dugout wearing a Red Sox jersey with a familiar No. 43 on the back, looked around, and smiled.

“Fantasy camp,’’ Embree said.

Indeed. The 40-year-old left-handed reliever, whose highlight reel moment with the Red Sox came when he leaped in the air after retiring Ruben Sierra on a tapper to Pokey Reese for the final out in Game 7 of the miraculous ALCS comeback for the Yankees, is back.

The Sox, who worked out Embree earlier this week at his home in Washington state, have signed Embree to a minor-league deal, with an invitation to big-league camp. Embree, a free agent after the Rockies declined to exercise his $3 million option for 2010, almost certainly has the inside track on the second left-hander’s spot in the Sox bullpen, behind Hideki Okajima.

The question, with just over two weeks before the April 4 opener, is how long it will take him to get ready. It may not be long.

“Today we’ll go out and see where he is,’’ manager Terry Francona said. “He says he’s almost game-ready. He says he’s been throwing a lot of bullpens.’’

Is there enough time? “We really don’t know,’’ Francona said. “According to him, yes. But we have to try and use good judgment.

“This is not a big transition for him. Some things have changed, of course, but he walks through the clubhouse and it’s old home week.’’

The Red Sox had let it be known to other clubs this week that they were looking to upgrade their left-handed relief options beyond Hideki Okajima, an indication that another 40-year-old left-hander trying to return to the Sox, Brian Shouse, was not cutting it.

There are also two right-handers in camp, Joe Nelson and Scott Atchison, who have had some success in getting out left-handed hitters, Nelson with his "Vulcan" changeup. But the Sox appear bent on expanding the field of candidates and decided to at least give Embree a shot.

Embree’s season ended violently last July in Colorado, as a line drive by Atlanta’s Martin Prado shattered his right tibia, causing a compression fracture that required the insertion of screws.

"He was shaking in pain. You knew something was really wrong," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "It was so loud. You just hate to see anything like this happen."

At the time, there was speculation his career might be over, and obviously factored in Colorado’s decision not to pick up the option. But Embree has made a full recovery, and looks to tack onto his 882 career appearances, which ranks sixth among active pitchers.

“Maybe because of an unfortunate accident, we will be the recipient of good luck,’’ Francona said.

Embree’s first acquisition by the Red Sox, in 2002, was primarily engineered by Theo Epstein, who was then the Sox assistant GM and knew Embree well from his days with the Padres. He became a valued member of the Sox pen -- he made 136 appearances over the 2003-04 seasons, and pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in the 2003 postseason, which is why it will be eternally debated that Grady Little should have lifted Pedro Martinez in Game 7 of the ’03 ALCS.

But in July of 2005, Embree was released by the Red Sox after he posted a 7.65 ERA in 43 appearances. It turned out that Embree pitched the entire year with a bad elbow, and after the season he had surgery to remove two bone spurs and five bone chips from the elbow.

Francona said Saturday the Sox were aware that Embree was having elbow issues.

Embree went 2-2 with a 5.84 ERA in 36 relief appearances for the Rockies last season before the injury. He owns a career record of 39-45 with 25 saves and a 4.59 ERA in 882 games with the Indians (1992, 1995-96), Braves (1997-98), Diamondbacks (1998), Giants (1999-2001), White Sox (2001), Padres (2002, 2006), Red Sox (2002-05), Yankees (2005), Athletics (2007-08) and Rockies (2009).

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The Red Sox, who have let it be known that they're looking to upgrade their left-handed relief after Hideki Okajima, sent a scout Tuesday to watch 40-year-old Alan Embree throw near his home in Washington state.

"Just doing due diligence,'' one team source said of checking out Embree, who previously pitched for the Sox from 2002-05 and was a key member of the bullpen on the '04 World Series champions. Embree originally came to the Sox in a midseason trade with San Diego primarily engineered by then-assistant GM Theo Epstein, the first major transaction to bear his fingerprints.

Embree pitched last season for the Colorado Rockies, but his season was cut short on July 11 when a line drive by Atlanta's Martin Prado struck him in the right leg, fracturing his tibia. The Rockies elected not to exercise the $3 million option they held for 2010.

The Red Sox already have a 40-year-old left-hander in camp in Brian Shouse, but he does not appear to be the answer. Minor league left-hander Dustin Richardson is a long shot and has only thrown twice. There are two right-handers in camp, Joe Nelson and Scott Atchison, who have had some success in getting out left-handed hitters, Nelson with his "Vulcan" changeup.

But the Sox appear bent on expanding the field of candidates and decided to at least take a look at Embree.

Meanwhile, the line score for Terry Francona on Tuesday:

No wins, two losses, no runs, 350-or-so miles of driving from Fort Myers to Kissimmee to Port Charlotte and back to the Fort.

"And John Farrell did not offer to drive once,'' Francona said of the pitching coach who accompanied him on an excursion that resulted in a 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros and a 7-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Francona said the pair left Kissimmee around 3:30, had trouble getting out of the parking lot there, and arrived here at about 6:50 p.m., 10 minutes before game time, while fighting more traffic trying to get into the park.

"Made one quick pit stop along the way,'' Francona said. "There's probably one CVS employee not too happy with the Red Sox.''

We'll spare you further details.

We also won't burden you with too much game detail, other than to note that Jon Lester pitched well in Kissimmee, allowing a run on three hits and two walks in four innings, with two punchouts, and lefty prospect Felix Doubront did the same in Port Charlotte, with three scoreless innings (a hit, a walk, a whiff) that extended his scoreless steak to seven.

But Houston's Roy Oswalt (four zeroes) was a handful in Kissimmee, and Wade Davis was the same in Port Charlotte (5 K's in 4 IP), where the Rays knocked around Boof Bonser and Junichi Tazawa, the Japanese right-hander giving up Sean (S-Rod?) Rodriguez's fifth home run of spring.

Other matters of note: David Ortiz lined two more singles Tuesday, giving him four solid hits in the last two days, and Mike Lowell played a second straight game at first, still without fielding a ground ball; Lowell whiffed and bounced out at the plate. Francona said Lowell will see time at third base, perhaps by the end of the week, though he said scheduling issues could come into play.

Josh Beckett worked out Tuesday, is feeling better, and should make his start Friday, the manager said, while the team will break out the green caps and jerseys for the St. Patrick Day's matinee against the Mets. John Lackey draws the start, while Manny Delcarmen will be watched to see if his velocity jumps from the subpar 90 miles per hour he's been hitting the last couple of outings.