BOSTON – Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on Tuesday decided not to start center fielder Aaron Hicks and shortstop Pedro Florimon. Wilkin Ramirez started in center field and batted eighth while Jamey Carroll, a career .429 hitter against Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster, started at short and batted leadoff.
But Hicks entered the game in the middle of the seventh inning — and quickly got the attention of his manager.
Hicks caught a fly ball from Jonny Gomes for the first out of the inning and flipped the ball, while still in his glove, to Brian Dozier. Gardenhire gave Hicks an earful in the dugout after the inning. Television cameras caught Gardenhire yelling and pointing his finger at Hicks.
''I caught the ball, was close to Doz and just flipped it,'' said Hick, who said he understood why Gardenhire was mad.
Gardenhire declined to comment on the play after the game.
Hicks had an RBI double in the third inning Monday as he inched his batting average up to a season-high .124 after a horrific start.
When asked before the game about Hicks not being in the lineup, Gardenhire said: ''Just playing Ramirez, who needs at-bats, [so he can] get some swings. Try that out and see what happens. Mix it up and see if we can add on a few more runs.''
Ramirez came through with an RBI single in the fifth that scored Ryan Doumit with the game's first run.
Pressly's buddies
Rule 5 draftee Ryan Pressly was waiting for a chance to face his original organization. The Twins drafted Pressly from the Red Sox organization last December and Pressly earned a roster spot in spring training.
Pressly is friends with a few Red Sox players, including righthanders Alex Wilson and Clayton Mortensen and recently called-up righthander Allen Webster, who is starting Wednesday.
Pressly is really good friends with Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks. The two have known each other since Pressly was 7 years old, growing up in Texas. They were signed by the same scout and part of the 2007 draft class, as Boston selected Middlebrooks in the fifth round and Pressly in the 11th. They both live in the Dallas area.
Pressly has gotten to see his former minor league teammates, but he's eager to take the mound and get a shot at Middlebrooks.
"I've been waiting a long time for this,'' Pressly said. "It's going to be fun. My parents are back home watching it. They are big fans of Middlebrooks because he comes over to the house all the time.''
Pressly entered Tuesday as the designated long reliever since Anthony Swarzak pitched three innings on Monday.
Boston makes move
The Red Sox placed closer Joel Hanrahan on the 15-day disabled list, a move that ended up affecting the Red Sox starter for Wednesday's game.
Boston called up Webster from Class AAA Pawtucket to replace Hanrahan — and named him Wednesday's starter. Lefthander Felix Doubront, the original starter Wednesday, has been moved to the bullpen.
Junichi Tazawa has replaced Hanrahan as the closer.
Etc.
• Speaking of ex-teammates, Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino homered off Twins righthander Vance Worley on Monday. The two were teammates with the Phillies.
"I had to give him some crap when he came back across the field,'' Worley said. "He hit it to the deepest part of the park.''
That was a shot at Victorino, whose homer just reached the seats near the right field corner — not far from the Pesky Pole, which is only 302 feet from home plate.
