BOSTON -- Red Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley uttered an expletive during Friday night's broadcast on NESN.

After Kevin Youkilis was hit on the arm by a pitch by Mets pitcher Johan Santana, Youkilis could be seen mouthing an expletive at Santana as he made his way to first base.

As Santana stared at Youkilis, Eckersley repeated the word as he described the play.

"Never mind," Eckersley quickly said. As NESN announcer Don Orsillo appeared to try to control his laughter, Eckersley said "We'll just forget about that."

Eckersley, a Hall of Fame player, is substituting for color man Jerry Remy, who is recovering after surgery for lung cancer. Eckersley and Orsillo joked about the remark later in the broadcast.

The Federal Communications Commission has come down hard on over-the-air broadcasters for so-called "fleeting expletives." However, the FCC's authority applies only to broadcast television, not cable programs.