BOSTON -- After going hitless Tuesday for a second straight game to start the season, Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz lashed out at reporters when reminded that his struggles last April and May would be a hot topic if he was slow at the start of this season as well.

"Good," he said, turning to face the reporters encircling him. "You guys wait 'til [expletive] happens, then you can talk [expletive]. Two [expletive] games, and already you [expletives] are going crazy.

"What's up with that, man? [Expletive]. [Expletive] 160 games left. That's a [expletive]. One of you [expletives] got to go ahead and hit for me."

Ortiz was handled with ease Sunday night by Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia, who retired Ortiz on two rollers and an infield fly.

Against right-hander A.J. Burnett Tuesday, Ortiz smoked a ball into the teeth of an overshifted Yankees defense, right at second baseman Robinson Cano, turning a likely hit sans shift into an easy out in Boston's 6-4 loss to New York.

He grounded out again to Cano in the third before going down swinging on a nasty curveball from Burnett to end the fifth. In the eighth, against left-handed reliever Damaso Marte, Ortiz hit a harmless fly to center.