WATSON'S VISIT IRKS FRANCONA  —  Tired of repeated warnings falling on deaf ears, The Post has learned Bob Watson entered the Red Sox dugout during last night's game to talk to Terry Francona about not wearing a uniform jersey while managing.  Francona opts for a red pullover, which is sanctioned by MLB properties.

Drew still doesn't know what to do  —  He's trying to deliver plausible explanation  —  NEW YORK — Until J.D. Drew starts hitting home runs and driving in big runs, the $14 million-a-year outfielder will not have much comfort in Boston.  Nor will he have acceptance.

Mets fall to Phils, NL East lead at three  —  Game-ending interference call irks players, Randolph  —  PHILADELPHIA — Throughout his team's mostly unremarkable season, manager Willie Randolph often has bemoaned the Mets' inability to bury their opponents or at least create margins for error.

Martínez to Audition for Mets' Brain Trust  —  Get your T-shirts now: The Pedro Martínez Reunion Tour will make a one-time stop in Atlanta on Friday so that he can throw his between-starts bullpen session in front of some very interested Mets coaches and officials.

Guillen rips into Sox  —  X-rated rant follows loss to Rangers in extra innings  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — After watching the White Sox's offense sink to a new low Wednesday night, manager Ozzie Guillen fired his own attack during a 4 1/2 -minute tirade.  —  "The offense threw dirt on the grave …

Tilting the Playing Field  —  "It is the best game because the players look like us.  They are not seven feet tall, they don't weigh 350 pounds, and they don't bench-press 650.  We can relate to them.  We can see them—they're not obscured by some hideous face mask, and they don't play behind …

BOMBERS PLAN TO AMEND JOBA RULES  —  The Joba Rules are about to change, The Post has learned.  —  And after watching Kyle Farnsworth almost flush a Yankees win last night, the alterations can't be made soon enough.  —  Joe Torre and minor-league pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras …

Prospectus Today  —  Jose Reyes  —  The Angels sweep, the Indians sweep, the Padres take a third, the Phillies take a third, the Yankees take a second...we'll see how all of these storylines develop today as these series come to a close, some of them in matinees.

Pirates Notebook: Duffy to have surgery  —  Chris Duffy, the Pirates' opening-day center fielder, will have surgery on his left shoulder tomorrow, two sources confirmed yesterday.  —  The surgery will be performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Los Angeles Angels' team physician who examined Duffy yesterday in Los Angeles.

Dodgers willing to gamble on Loaiza  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  The moment the Dodgers claimed A's right-hander Esteban Loaiza on waivers, they forfeited all leverage in trade discussions.  —  Their decision to risk absorbing the $8 million-plus remaining on Loaiza's contract was yet another reflection …

D-Backs' lead has evaporated  —  SAN DIEGO - Not long after he fired his helmet into the ground in frustration on Wednesday night, Chris Snyder had found a more dispassionate perspective on the first three games of what has thus far been a nightmarish series for the Diamondbacks …

Back seat for Ramírez  —  Sore slugger will be out indefinitely  —  NEW YORK — With the Red Sox able to expand their roster with minor league call-ups starting Saturday, manager Terry Francona said it was unlikely the team would make a roster move for this afternoon's game against the Yankees …

Strained oblique to cost Bedard start in Boston  —  Rookie Olson will be recalled from Bluefield to take ace's turn  —  The Orioles were able to divert their attention from their beleaguered bullpen yesterday, but only so they could attempt to patch up their rotation.

Harang blanks Bucs for 14th win  —  Griffey Jr. goes deep in first inning for career home run No. 592  —  PITTSBURGH — It was a shift from doubleheader debacle to singular bliss for the Reds.  —  Behind Aaron Harang's two-hit shutout in a smooth 8-0 win over the Pirates on Wednesday …

Tigers get 16 hits, but only 3 runs; Ordonez: 'We can't get any further behind'  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Tigers wasted hits Tuesday night to an extent they hadn't in 48 years.  And after the performance knocked them 3 1/2 games behind the Indians in the AL Central, Magglio Ordonez …

Nationals' Best Is Not Good Enough  —  Hill Can't Hold Lead in Sixth Straight Loss: Dodgers 10, Nationals 9  —  This had to, just had to, come at the end of a 10-game road trip that started with promise but fizzled into disappointment.  It wasn't enough that the Washington Nationals lost …

O's lose 8th straight  —  Bullpen blows 3-run lead; Devil Rays win it in 12 innings  —  It didn't matter how effective Steve Trachsel was for six innings, or how far Aubrey Huff's latest home run against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays traveled.  Everything last night was channeled into the late innings …