Lowe set to take his cuts in Game 4

ST. LOUIS -- Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe wants to make his mark at Busch Stadium, just as Mark McGwire did.

"My goal is to hit one where Mac hit his 62nd home run -- in batting practice," Lowe said Monday.

With the World Series shifting to the National League park, Boston pitchers get a rare chance to bat. Lowe, scheduled to start Game 4 tonight against St. Louis, said his last big game at the plate probably came in Little League.

"I could always hit, but that don't mean nothing," he said. "I love National League baseball because in a way it takes your mind off just pitching."

When told that Red Sox hitting coach Ron Jackson said Lowe has power to all fields, Lowe replied: "Is he talking about the infield?"

Series highly rated

Boston's 6-2 victory Sunday got a 15.9 fast national rating and 24 share, the highest-rated Game 2 since Atlanta's 4-3 victory over Cleveland in 1995 got a 19.4/31.

Boston's 11-9 win in Saturday's opener got a 13.7 fast national rating, the highest for an opener since a 14.2/26 for Game 1 in 1999 between the New York Yankees and Atlanta.

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a telecast, and the share is the percentage tuned to a telecast among those households with televisions on at the time.

Womack bats seventh

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa went with the same lineup as Game 2, leaving Tony Womack in the seventh slot instead of leadoff for the fourth straight game.

Now, La Russa is worried more about matchups than Womack's aching back.

Womack and No. 2 batter Larry Walker are left-handed hitters, and La Russa thought the Red Sox might be able to exploit that with lefty relievers Mike Myers and Alan Embree.

"I'd just as soon not back up two left-handers with their bullpen," La Russa said.

Kline to have operation

Cardinals reliever Steve Kline, left off the World Series roster due to a partially torn tendon in his left index finger, is scheduled to visit a surgeon today to schedule an operation.

Kline said he will be sidelined between six weeks and four months, depending on the severity of the injury. He was upset last week when he found out while watching television that the Cardinals would put right-hander Al Reyes on the roster instead.

Kline said the finger has bothered him off and on for about two years. During that time, he's had four cortisone shots.

First inning woes

Boston scored a first-inning run Tuesday night on a solo home run by Manny Ramirez off Jeff Suppan. The Red Sox have scored in each of the first three games, outscoring the Cardinals 7-0 in the opening frames.