FORT MYERS, Fla. — In his longest outing of the spring, Tampa Bay ace David Price pitched into the seventh inning to help the Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 7-4 on Tuesday night.

Dan Johnson hit his fourth homer, a two-run shot, and former Red Sox star Manny Ramirez scored a run in his first return to City of Palms Park since 2008.

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With his dreadlocks wrapped around his face, Tampa Bay’s Manny Ramirez swings and misses at a pitch during the second inning of a spring training game Tuesday against Boston in Fort Myers, Fla. Ramirez walked on the at-bat. The Associated Press

John Lackey took the loss for Boston, giving up five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out four while throwing 96 pitches, 57 strikes.

Price went 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run and five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 103 pitches, 61 for strikes.

Lackey gave up two home runs but was pleased with his outing.

“Felt good,” he said. “I was really happy with how my arm felt, for sure. Stuff-wise I feel like I’m ready to go.”

Red Sox Manager Terry Francona was satisfied with Lackey’s performance, too.

“For the most part pretty good,” Francona said. “I thought he made a couple mistakes. I thought the first home run I didn’t think was a home run. I thought the second one was. But I thought he followed the glove pretty well. I thought he threw some good off-speed pitches. He got up to (96 mph) and that’s good, that’s important. Next time he’ll scale back. But I thought his stuff was pretty crisp.”

Lackey said he feels further along this spring than he has in several seasons.

“I was definitely being a little careful last spring training,” he said. “But I pushed it a little bit as far as more long toss and more effort level I guess during my starts, throwing the fastball, I guess.”

Ramirez went 1 for 1 with two walks and scored a run.

Red Sox minor leaguer Aaron Bates hit his first home run of the spring, a three-run shot in the eighth inning off Cory Wade. Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek each went 2 for 3 for the Red Sox

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YANKEES: Manager Joe Girardi has added another dimension to his leadoff-hitter experiment. He didn’t rule out using both Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner in the leadoff spot, depending on the opposing pitcher.

“You could see two different lineups,” Girardi said. “One for right-handers, one for left-handers.”

Should the Yankees use a two-lineup system, Girardi said Gardner could bat first against right-handers and ninth vs. lefties. New York has been looking recently at how the lineup shapes up with Gardner leading off and Jeter in the No. 2 hole.

METS: Carlos Beltran took another step in his return to New York’s lineup from left knee tendinitis by serving as the designated hitter in two minor league games. He went 2 for 8 with a double and home run, hitting from both sides of the plate.

BRAVES: Atlanta is making Bobby Cox the first manager in franchise history to have his number retired.

The Braves said they will honor Cox’s No. 6 on Aug. 12 before a home game against the Chicago Cubs.

Cox retired after last season. He is fourth all time with 2,504 wins, including 2,149 wins in 25 years with the Braves.

A FEDERAL JUDGE in San Francisco has sent Barry Bonds’ former trainer to jail for refusing to testify at the slugger’s perjury trial.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston found Greg Anderson in contempt and ordered him held in custody until he testifies or the trial ends, which could be up to four weeks.

Prosecutors allege Anderson provided Bonds with performance-enhancing drugs and detailed instructions on how to use them. His refusal to testify has undercut a significant portion of the government’s case against Bonds because the judge has ruled much of the evidence tied to Anderson is off limits.

Anderson served more than a year in prison for refusing to testify in 2006 before the grand jury investigating the home-run record holder.

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