BOSTON (AP) – Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell was born in Puerto Rico and played seven seasons for the Florida Marlins.

Probably used to the heat, right?

Not even close.

“I don’t care where you are from,” he said Tuesday before Boston’s game against the Cleveland Indians. “Nobody likes sweating through their shirt.”

The Red Sox took steps to deal with the region’s sweltering heat, making batting practice optional on Tuesday with plans to do the same today, when temperatures were expected to top 100 degrees. Electric fans will be running in the dugout, and players can pop into the clubhouse for a dose of air conditioning.

Manager Terry Francona said coaches and batboys will shag flies for the players who do hit.

“It’s not like the workload will be any less, but I can’t see standing around for an hour and a half,” he said.

Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff said the key to fighting dehydration is starting to prepare for it a couple days in advance. Players are warned about caffeinated drinks and spicy or fried foods, which can also exacerbate dehydration.

Cleveland canceled its extra batting practice session for the next two days, which would keep players out of the early afternoon sun.

Both teams remind the players that dehydration has a cumulative effect.

“By tomorrow, you have to replace whatever you sweat out today,” Red Sox trainer Jim Rowe said. “The key is hydration and more hydration. These guys are drinking something 24-7.”

That’s OK for the 50 or so guys in uniform. But there are also 36,000 fans in the stands who won’t have the option of popping into a cool clubhouse.

For them, the Red Sox set up a water mister in the right-field concourse. An extra ambulance was standing by, along with additional emergency personnel.

Frequent warnings were to be posted on the scoreboard.


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