FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Even with two key offseason pitching acquisitions in starter Curt Schilling and closer Keith Foulke, the Boston Red Sox still are in search of another arm. If Alan Embree has his way, it will be another lefty.

As of now, Embree is the only left-hander guaranteed a spot on the roster when the season starts April 4 in Baltimore. Embree says if the Red Sox are going to finally win a World Series, having another southpaw would help.

“You look at most championship teams, they have more than one lefty,” Embree said.

“I would really appreciate another lefty but I’m ready to pitch whenever I’m called upon.”

Last season, Embree appeared in 65 games for the Sox and posted a 4-1 record. But he also had the luxury of fellow lefties Kevin Tolar, Casey Fossum and Scott Sauerbeck sharing the load.

None of those pitchers are still with the team.

With an all right-handed starting staff slated to start the season, Embree sees a greater need to get a situational left-hander for the bullpen.

“We need a one-out lefty,” Embree said. “Someone who could come in early in a game and get a crucial out against a left-handed hitter.”

Red Sox manager Terry Francona understands Embree’s plead. But he doesn’t know if one of the five left-handers in camp will be ready to assume that role.

“He has a valid point,” Francona said. “Because with only one lefty you start second guessing yourself, when is the best time to use him and then you take the risk of getting him up too many times and then you can’t even use him.”

Currently, left-hander Mike Malaska is the leading contender to grab the final spot on the pitching staff.

He appeared in 22 games last season with Tampa Bay, posting an impressive 2.81 ERA for the Devil Rays in 16 innings. His strikeouts-per-inning ratio (1.1) makes him a likely candidate to fill the one-out role.

Another former Devil Ray, Nick Bierdrodt, is the only other lefty in camp with any big league experience; Lenny Dinardo, Tim Hamulack and Phil Seibel are seen as long shots to make the final roster.

“While I’d like to take another lefty we may have to just go with the best arm available,” Francona said.

But Embree said his concerns are eased when he considers Foulke, who had 42 saves last season in Oakland, and Scott Williamson, who joined the Red Sox late in the pennant race from Cincinnati, are right-handers who have faired well against left-handed hitters.

“Those two guys have the pitches and have the what it takes mentally to get a tough left-handed hitter out,” Embree said. “So that takes a little of the burden off me.”

If Embree is the only southpaw on the staff, it won’t be the first time. He’s been in that role before with San Diego and San Francisco.

“Hey, I’m always the only lefty,” Embree said. “Right now left-handed pitching is a commodity. Look, the Yankees won’t have a left-handed starter, either. So I guess we’ll be even as far as that goes.”

Notes:Francona said Pedro Martinez will make his first game appearance of the spring on March 9 against Cincinnati at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Martinez, who was 14-4 last season, will pitch in the same game as Curt Schilling. It hasn’t been determined who will start. … Francona said outfielders Johnny Damon and Trot Nixon will not be in the lineup for the first three games of the spring training season, which started Wednesday night against Minnesota. … General manager Theo Epstein said the team has no interest in signing former New York Yankees pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, who worked out for the Red Sox last week.

AP-ES-03-03-04 1606EST