Francona suffers chest pains

Francona told members of his coaching staff last night that he would undergo further exams and a "procedure." Bench coach Brad Mills, who managed the Sox in Francona's absence yesterday, said last night he had been told there was a chance he'd be called upon to manage the club in Toronto as well. The Red Sox, who are off today, play the Blue Jays tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday.

"He keeps telling me he's going to be OK," said Mills, who spoke with Francona after the game. "But you don't get prodded and poked and tested as much as he was today without some concern. He's probably concerned a little bit, but he's confident things will wind up OK."

Francona, who turns 46 April 22, walked out of Yankee Stadium with team trainer Jim Rowe at approximately 9:30 a.m. and entered a waiting ambulance that had been summoned by a 911 call, according to a member of the police detachment assigned to the Stadium. He was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center, about 20 minutes from the stadium, for precautionary reasons, according to Glenn Geffner, the team's vice president of media relations.

General manager Theo Epstein later joined Francona at the hospital, and the manager's condition was being monitored by Gill from Boston, the club said. During a series of operations three years ago, a device known as a Greenfield filter was inserted inside Francona to prevent blood clots from reaching his lungs and heart.

"He is resting comfortably, awaiting test results, and his blood pressure was back to normal since the ninth inning," said Geffner, who spoke with Epstein after the game. "He did a mild bit of second-guessing; he listened to most of the game on the radio."