Against lefty, Drew not automatic to take turn at bat

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager John Farrell drew some second-guessing on the talk radio circuit after Stephen Drew batted against Orioles lefty T.J. McFarland in the 11th inning of Wednesday's loss and hit into a double play.

Highly touted righty Xander Bogaerts, who has been impressive when he's played, was available on the bench.

Hitting a top prospect for an experienced veteran can be a slippery slope for a manager. However, Farrell indicated that it could happen once the games start to intensify.

"Well, last night was what it was," said Farrell. "Going forward, when there's maybe more of a sense of urgency with postseason situations, I'm sure that's something that Stephen and I will talk to well in advance when that situation may come up again. I'm well aware of what Stephen is doing against left-handed pitching, but there might be a time for that."

Drew is dramatically better against righties (.278 average, .852 OPS) than against southpaws (.183 average, .568 OPS).