FanHouse

Our MLB editor provides weekly dispatches from major league games in Notes From the Clubhouse.

Manny Ramirez and the sluggish Boston Red Sox arrived in Baltimore very early this morning at the tail end of a tough 10-game road trip. Ramirez sits just two home runs away from the 500th of his career, but he doesn't appear to be letting Boston's 6 AM arrival here in the Charm City slow him down.

As Manny departed the clubhouse for a pre-game workout he pointed to Josh Beckett, the Red Sox starter tonight, and told him he was going to get to 500 homers in the next two days. Ramirez doesn't have a home run against either of the Baltimore starters in this abbreviated series -- Jeremy Guthrie and Daniel Cabrera -- but if Manny feels good, I'm not sure it even matters. He is, after all, one of the top right-handed hitters of this generation.

The other major news to report is that Boston manager Terry Francona has left the team because of a death in the family. His wife's mother passed away last night during the Red Sox's game against the Twins and Francona found out following the game. He could return to the team as early as Thursday, Boston's first off day this month. The Red Sox face the Brewers Friday at Fenway Park to open interleague play.

Brad Mills will take over the managing duties in the meantime, but he doesn't expect much to change. "This is a veteran team, the dynamics are going to stay the same," he said during his pre-game meeting with the press. Mills has been Francona's bench coach since he took over as manager in 2004, and he may eventually have a future as a manager himself, but he isn't thinking about that today. "Not under these circumstances," said Mills.

Other tidbits from Camden Yards:

- Third baseman Melvin Mora was a very late scratch from tonight's lineup. He has some sort of neck or shoulder injury, but the details are still hazy. Freddie Bynum was bumped up to the No. 2 spot in the order, Aubrey Huff goes from DH to third, Jay Payton will now DH and hit eighth, with Guillermo Quiroz dropping down to No. 9 in the order.

- Jacoby Ellsbury has been nursing a sore left knee the last few days. He is available tonight, according to Mills, and he's feeling a lot better, but he isn't in the lineup. Coco Crisp, who has been red-hot lately, is leading off. I imagine Ellsbury could be used as a defensive replacement for Manny Ramirez if the Sox are leading late, or as a pinch-runner late in a close game. Julio Lugo is also nursing an injury, a mild concussion, but he seems farther from returning to the lineup than Ellsbury. Alex Cora will continue to start at short in his stead.

- Curt Schilling was at the park earlier today for a workout. He appeared in the clubhouse a few hours before the game with a sizable bag of ice on his injured right shoulder.

- Speaking of Schilling, he isn't the only gamer in the clubhouse. Crisp was playing what appeared to be an MMORPG, though I can't even pretend to know which one it was.