NEW YORK — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine’s job was safe for at least one final game.
General manager Ben Cherington would not discuss the status of the Red Sox’s beleaguered first-year manager before Boston’s season finale against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.
“I’m not going to talk about it,” Cherington said. “We have a game tonight. We’ve said many times, Bobby’s the manager of the team until the end of the year, and we’ll talk about it after the season. That’s what we’ll do.”
Valentine has had a trying first year with the Red Sox, 69-92 entering Wednesday. He was signed to a two-year deal to help revive an organization that was eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the season in 2011 after a September collapse. Instead, because of injuries, a lack of pitching depth and underperformance, Boston has lost its most games since 1965 and finished last in the AL East for the first time since 1992.
On Wednesday, Valentine told Boston radio station WEEI that some of his coaches were not loyal to him and undermined him at times this season, his first as a major league manager since 2002.
He did tell reporters before the game at Yankee Stadium he thought the friction with the coaches had little to do with the team’s struggles.
“There’s situations during the year I didn’t think it was all for one or one for all, whatever it is,” Valentine said. “I don’t really remember specifically. … It was just a feeling.”
Cherington says he wasn’t aware of the problems. But pitching coach Bo McClure was fired in August.
“If he feels that way I’m sorry he feels that way,” Cherington said. “I’m not in his office all the time. I’m not in the clubhouse all the time so I don’t know what he exactly was referring to. He’s got a right to his opinion.”
Valentine also said he regrets a few things he did this season, including his management of the bullpen early in the season when closer Andrew Bailey was hurt, one of 27 Red Sox to spend time on the disabled list in 34 stints, the most by any team since at least 1987, according to STATS LLC.
The often outspoken and manipulative Valentine wished he did not make the negative comments about popular infielder Kevin Youkilis during the morning drive in April. He was surprised by the reaction it got.
Looking ahead, Cherington said the team has talked to injured David Ortiz and outfielder Cody Ross, both free agents to be, about returning.
“David is a priority, and we’ve talked to Cody Ross also,” Cherington said. “I’m not going to comment anymore other than that, just to say we’re talking to those guys. David is someone that we feel strongly about bringing back, and we’re trying to figure out a way to do that. Cody fit in well and had a good year. It’s an area of need going forward.”
Ibanez rallies Yankees
NEW YORK — Raul Ibanez tied it with a pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning, then had an RBI single in the 12th, helping the Yankees remain a game up on Baltimore in the AL East with one game to go by beating the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night.
With a second comeback spurred by Ibanez in the last 10 days, the Yankees need a win or Orioles loss on the final day of the season to secure their 13th division title since 1996. The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 1-0 earlier.
If the teams end up even after Wednesday’s games, they’ll play a tiebreaker Thursday in Baltimore.
The Yankees kept missing chances on a misty night. They were 0-58 when trailing after eight innings this season before rallying in the ninth.
Curtis Granderson led off with a single off closer Andrew Bailey and Ibanez lined a shot to right field to make it 3-all.
Ibanez came up again with two outs in the 12th after Francisco Cervelli walked in his first plate appearance of the year and Granderson drew a walk from Andrew Miller (3-2).
Ibanez hit a grounder out of the reach of shortstop Jose Iglesias and Cervelli flopped into home plate. The Yankees ran out to first base to mob Ibanez, who had a tying two-run homer against Oakland in the 13th inning on Sept. 22. He was doused with a bucket of water during a postgame interview.
“We stuck together. We stayed after them, and we were able to pull it out,” Ibanez said. “I was trying not to do too much, and it found a hole.”
Derek Lowe (9-11) pitched two innings for the win.
While the Orioles were chasing the Yankees in the standings, Lowe’s outing was delayed briefly in the 12th by another kind of bird. A member of the grounds crew, using a bucket, chased a bird that landed on the infield and was reluctant to fly off.
The Red Sox dropped to 69-92, and the loss ensured they will finish in last place in the East for the first time since 1992.
The Yankees had at least one hit in each of the first six innings before the top three in the batting order went out successively in the seventh against Junichi Tazawa.
They loaded the bases against Bailey in the ninth but Mark Melancon relieved and got Mark Teixeira to pop up to an outfield playing in and Robinson Cano to ground out.
Managing as if this were a playoff game, manager Joe Girardi used much of his well-rested bullpen. He called on Rafael Soriano for the ninth, trailing 2-1, and the closer gave up a leadoff homer to James Loney, rankling many of the 41,564 who stayed through the rain.
He also pitched the 10th, walking one batter. It was the first time this season he pitched more than 1 1-3 innings.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia were back in Boston’s lineup a day after sitting out of a 10-2 loss and immediately made an impact. Ellsbury, who sat against left-hander CC Sabathia, singled and scored from first on a double to right-center by Pedroia, playing with a broken left ring finger. Cody Ross added a sacrifice fly against David Phelps for a 2-0 lead.
Eduardo Nunez had an RBI single off Jon Lester after Granderson reached on an infield hit, advanced to second on a throwing error by third baseman Pedro Ciriaco on the play and then stole third base.
Teixeira grounded out with runners on first and second to end the fifth and was booed by the many fans who remained in their seats.
The Yankees had runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh against Rich Hill and Ichiro Suzuki came up to chants of “Ich-iro!” He hit a sharp line drive to center field that was caught by Ellsbury.