BOSTON – Red Sox reliever Derek Lowe was moved from closer to middle relief on Monday after a terrible start to the year.

Lowe said manager Jimy Williams told Lowe that he plans to use him as a middle reliever for a couple appearances to help him get his confidence back.

"My understanding is that I'll pitch an inning or two and go back to closing," Lowe said, an All-Star last season. "But who am I to say? You've got to go out and pitch effectively."

In five appearances this year, Lowe has lost twice, walking five in 4 2/3 innings and posting a 7.71 ERA. He's 1-2 with one save.

On Sunday, he was pulled from a save situation against the New York Yankees after putting the tying run on base in the ninth. Former starter Rolando Arrojo picked up the save in Boston's 5-4 win.

In Monday's 4-1 victory over New York, setup man Rod Beck – a closer most of his career – pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.

Beck has 261 career saves and has said he wants to return to the closer's role. Nevertheless, after the game Monday he said there's no closer controversy in Boston.

"Derek Lowe is the closer on this ballclub," he said. "Let's end it right there. I don't want Derek's job, I just want one like it."

Williams didn't explain bypassing Lowe at the end of Monday's game, calling it a "manager's decision." He also indicated Lowe could quickly return to the closing role.

"Yesterday, it was Arrojo, today it was Beck," he said. "It very well could be Lowe tomorrow."

Lowe's problems come after a breakout year in his first season as full-time closer, during which he saved 42 and had a 2.56 ERA.

Lowe said before Monday's game that faltering confidence explains his early problems in 2001.

"When you're not quite sure, you don't have 100 percent conviction behind every pitch," he said. "Hitters can sense that and it just snowballs into where every out is a struggle."

Lowe had a similar slump in June last year, when he picked up three of his five blown saves, including two in a row in against Baltimore.

"It kind of gets lost when it's the middle of the year," Lowe said. "When it's the beginning of the year, it gets magnified."

Williams said he doesn't see any problems with Lowe's mechanics.

"Stuff-wise he's fine, arm-wise he's fine," Williams said. "Do we need him? Yes. Is he going to help us? Yes."