BOSTON -- Catcher Jason Varitek gutted through his sickness on Wednesday night, belting a three-run homer and catching eight innings in an eventual 6-3 victory. A day later, manager Terry Francona took his captain out of the lineup because of strep throat, a highly contagious malady.

How was Varitek feeling?

"I don't think too good," Francona said. "Just what his messages said: 'I don't feel too good.' He shouldn't have played last night. That's probably why we like our team so much. He had no business playing last night. He hit a three-run homer last night and had a good game. But he needs to not play tonight. Let the medication, hopefully, kick in. He should feel better tomorrow. I think it's strep throat, which, from what I understand, from having a lot of children, it's really contagious. Hopefully, we won't go through that again."

With Varitek out of the mix, Kevin Cash got the start behind the plate and batted ninth.

But don't be surprised to see Varitek make an appearance if the Red Sox need him in a late-inning situation.

"'Tek is always available," Francona said. "Maybe that kind of goes without saying."