Nixon the one in the middle

Nixon -- who streaked from the dugout toward the mound in the seventh after Tampa Bay reliever Lance Carter knocked down David Ortiz with a fastball headed toward the cranium, just a couple of pitches after throwing a fastball behind Manny Ramirez -- soon found himself in the clutches of Brazelton, who palmed Nixon's face and, according to the Sox player, stuck his finger in his eye.

After huddling during a nine-minute delay, the umpires determined Nixon and Brazelton would have to go, along with Carter and Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella, who earned an automatic exit because umpires had issued a warning to Carter after the pitch behind Ramirez.

"Nixon and Brazelton were escalating the situation," umpiring crew chief Rick Reed told a pool reporter. "In fact, Nixon was asked a couple of times to leave the area. He continued to make aggressive comments. Brazelton was out of control also."

In the bottom of the inning, Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo and manager Terry Francona were told to vacate the premises after Arroyo, who had hit Aubrey Huff in the sixth, zinged a pitch off Chris Singleton's leg.

In situations like these, it's rare to get an accurate accounting of who was throwing at whom, and why. "Some things," said Kevin Millar, admitting to nothing, "have to stay between the circles."

"They're going to have their version, and we're going to have ours," said Francona, noting that neither he nor Piniella was here nearly five years ago, Aug. 29, 2000, when Pedro Martinez hit Devil Rays leadoff man Gerald Williams in a game that produced eight ejections (all Devil Rays), two injured Sox players (Brian Daubach and Lou Merloni), and enough ill will to spawn annual plunk-a-thons when the Sox come here.

Last week, Watson suspended Sox hitting coach Ron Jackson a game after one of his umpires, Greg Gibson, took umbrage after reading Jackson's lips (Francona's version). That would seem to make it a lock that more suspensions are in the offing after yesterday's breakout of hostilities.