"He got an epidural about 3-4 weeks ago; he got a shot in a centralized muscular area. This is his second epidural," added Francona. "I think they're hoping -- again, we've got a week left, and trying to get him to the point where symptoms don't keep him out of games, and that's where we're at right now."

--3B Mike Lowell has made slight improvements while attempting to return from a partially torn labrum in his right hip, but the Sox are still shying away from a specific return date for their righty slugger. The Sox may use him at DH to get some at bats before putting him back in the field, but Lowell will need plenty of mobility to play third base against offensively aggressive teams in the playoffs. "Mikey is improved, not to the point where he's going to play in a game. I think the problem is going side to side," said manager Terry Francona. "He is improving and definitely going straight forward. I don't know if it's rapid improvement but it's improvement. We'll just keep monitoring him and do the best we can."

--SS Jed Lowrie is mired in a 4-for-33 slump (a .121 batting average) over his last nine games and has watched his batting average plummet from .295 all the way down to .260 in his last 22 games. The rookie infielder has endured highs and lows during his first half-season in the big leagues, but his recent run of futility at the dish counts as his worst moments in the big league thus far. Despite Lowrie's struggles at the plate, his 44 RBIs rank as the second-most by a switch-hitting rookie in franchise history. Former OF Reggie Smith is tops among Sox switch-hitting rookies with 61 RBIs in a memorable rookie season in 1967.

--OF Jacoby Ellsbury collected two hits in Monday night's loss and matched his career-high hitting streak with a 13-game hitting spree. The rookie outfielder, who hit .361 during a memorable September stretch last season, is hitting .350 during his current hitting binge and is once again in the leadoff slot for the Sox offense. While Ellsbury has experienced some typical struggles during his rookie season, it appears that his latest hitting tear is a harbinger of good things to come at the top of Boston's batting order.

--2B Dustin Pedroia has a career-high 19 stolen bases on the season and is only one base theft away from giving the Sox three players with at least 20 stolen bases this season. OF Jacoby Ellsbury has swiped an American League-best 49 stolen bases and OF Coco Crisp has stolen 20 bases as well, and the teammates could become the first Sox trio since 1914 to accomplish the feat. Tris Speaker (42 stolen bases), Hal Janvrin (29 stolen bases) and Duffy Lewis (22 stolen bases) each reached the 20-stolen base mark for the go-go Sox of 1914.

BY THE NUMBERS: 5 -- One-run losses that the Sox suffered at Tropicana Field at the hands of the Rays this season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're fine. We've just got to keep on playing. I never noticed the difference between winning the division and the Wild Card. As long as you're in, you're in." --DH David Ortiz, talking about a preference of entering the playoffs as a division winner or wild card entry.