The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Alfonso Soriano doesn't think Pedro Martinez hit him intentionally earlier this month.

"Pedro said he likes me," the New York Yankees second baseman said Thursday.

Martinez, who faces the Yankees' David Wells tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park, hit Soriano and Derek Jeter on their hands with high-and-tight pitches July 7 at Yankee Stadium. Both were knocked out of the game and didn't start the following day.

"Everybody knows he likes to throw inside," Soriano said.

Soriano, Jeter and manager Joe Torre didn't think there would be any carry-over today in the first meeting between the AL East rivals since that game. New York headed to Boston with a 2 1/2-game lead over the second-place Red Sox.

The Yankees expect a pumped-up crowd at Fenway.

"Boston fans and Yankee fans, it's crazy," Soriano said.

New York intends to activate Nick Johnson from the disabled list today. Johnson, sidelined since May 14 by a broken right hand, was to finish a minor-league rehabilitation assignment Thursday.

DOMINICAN BENEFITS: Major League Baseball injects $76 million annually into the Dominican economy through payments to players, scouting trips and donations, according to a study. The report, completed in June by MLB, found the major leagues created 1,200 jobs there.

The 79 Dominican players listed on major-league rosters on opening day collect a combined salary of $210 million, according to the study. Some of that money finds its way to the Dominican Republic, economic analysts say.

Each year, $14.7 million is paid directly to the country by 30 baseball academies, which are run by major-league teams, and baseball's office in the Dominican.

"It is also worth mentioning the value added of the informal sector, whose operations depend exclusively on the presence of major league baseball," the report said, attributing another 900 jobs indirectly related to the game.

RANGERS: Texas acquired three minor-league players from the White Sox, completing the July 1 deal that sent All-Star outfielder Carl Everett to Chicago. Texas chose right-handers Frankie Francisco and Josh Rupe and outfielder Anthony Webster from a pool of prospects.