Said Atlanta star Chipper Jones: “It’s like somebody wants to keep this on the tips of everybody’s tongues. And if that’s the case, I’d rather we just got it over with.”

Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon played with Ortiz and Ramirez on those championship Red Sox teams. Will fans think those Boston clubs were full of steroid users?

“That probably is what being said, and that’s what makes guys like me upset,” Damon said.

Ramirez was a long-established star in 2003. Ortiz, in contrast, had been a part-time player before that season.

Ortiz had never hit more than 20 homers in a season as a part-time player in Minnesota early in his career. He came to Boston as a platoon player in 2003 and had four homers by July 1, then hit 27 the rest of the year.

Ortiz followed up with seasons of 41, 47 and 54 home runs as he stamped himself as one of the best sluggers in the game.

Last year, he dipped to 23 home runs, and his slump continued this season. He’s hitting only .228 with 14 homers.

Ramirez returned from his suspension this month and quickly re-established his presence in the middle of the lineup for the NL West-leading Dodgers.

Boos have rained down on Ramirez throughout this week’s series in St. Louis whenever he comes to the plate or touches the ball.

“He’s a great player, and I don’t think the suspension has anything to do with it,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “Personally, if he never got suspended they’d still be booing the hell out of him.”

More news

Tony Gutierrez / AP

More heroics from Hamilton

Josh Hamilton fights off illness to hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning, lifting the Texas Rangers to an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Angels win as Pujols HR streak up to 3 games

SEATTLE (AP) - Albert Pujols hit a home run in his third straight game and pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo came through with a grand slam in the sixth inning to give the Los Angeles Angels a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

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